A Little Bit More
by truegryffindorgrit
Summary: Harry and co have the seemingly impossible task of trying to rebuild the whole of wizarding Britain and dealing with the loss of their friends and family. With new relationships and the media it's not long before they ask - wasn't this meant to be easier?
1. The Dance

This is my second, slightly more mature attempt at writing a Harry Potter fanfic. This story takes place straight after Deathly Hallows minus the epilogue. Hopefully this will fill in the bits in between. Harry and co have the seemingly impossible task of trying to rebuild the whole of wizarding Britain and dealing with the loss of their friends and family. With the added strain of new relationships and the media following their every move it's not long before they're asking - wasn't this suppose to get easier?

I'll stop now before you get too bored and decide not to read the actual story. Please do. It'll be good. I promise.

Also the chapter titles are all songs which I think sum up the mood of the chapter, so they can be a bit misleading. For instance chapter 1 doesn't actually have a dance in it, it's referring to the song by Garth Brooks. You'll see what I mean...

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**Chapter 1 : The Dance**

One month. Exactly one month to the day. And Harry felt like that it had been the fastest month he had ever experienced in his life. Maybe it was because after all those months of hunting the horcruxes, of waiting and doing nothing, everything had seemed to happen at once. Yes after all those months of just Ron, Hermione and himself, at the "Battle of Hogwarts" as everyone kept referring to it, Harry had found himself surrounded by a cast of hundreds, and things had pretty much remained that way ever since. Or maybe it was because this didn't yet feel like _his _life. Sure the usual feelings of guilt and grief that had become so familiar over the past few years were still there but they would subside soon, as they usually did, and then what? Voldemort was gone. For good. And Harry was free.

He sat down on the old sofa that was now pushed close to the fire in the drawing room, closed his eyes and tried to stop the world from spinning. He thought hard about everything that had happened since the night Voldemort had died. Everything was such a blur that he felt almost panicked that if he didn't try to sort it all in his head right at that very moment, then he would forget it all.

First had come the funerals. Harry tried to go to as many as was possible, or as many as Hermione would allow.

"Don't push yourself Harry," she had warned him. "People will understand. I mean a lot of people died that night. Your not expected to go to every single funeral."

"Too many people died, Hermione," he said apparating to the next venue. "Too many," he murmured as he watched Colin Creevy's small coffin being laid to rest in a traditional muggle funeral.

Fred's funeral was by far the largest Harry attended. It seemed that everyone that had ever bought anything from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had felt the need to pay their respects. The residents of Ottery St Catchpole weren't sure what to make of it when well over a hundred wizards dressed in black robes processed through their village making their way to a house that none of the villagers seemed to have heard of before.

'The Burrow' was far too small to accommodate the huge crowd that had assembled, so only close friends and family were permitted inside the house, the rest had to listen to the service magically projected outside.

"This is so awful," Hermione finally yelped, rubbing the tears roughly off her face. She and Harry had been standing in perfect silence in the kitchen, watching small groups of Weasley family members, whom Harry recognised from Bill and Fleur's wedding, pass in and out of the living room paying their last respects to Fred.

"State the obvious 'Mione," Harry teased her, but put his arm round her all the same. "But pull yourself together yeah? We need to be there for Ron."

"You're right," she said, rubbing her face more vigorously. "But how? What do I say? What do I do?"

"Uh…" Before Harry could think of a good response to this question they were joined by a slightly drained looking Charlie Weasley. He gave them a small nod of greeting and then looked warily at his Aunt Muriel who had just entered the kitchen.

"So have you been in yet?" he asked indicating the living room where they knew Fred's body was lying.

"No we're waiting for Ron," Harry replied. Hermione said nothing; she had succumbed to tears again. "Do you know where he is?"

"Upstairs with Ginny. He'll be down in a minute, I think. He'll have to be, I think we'll be starting soon. We're waiting for the wizard that did Bill and Fleur's wedding, remember? Mum says he's already had to do two funerals today so he's running a little late."

"How is she?" Harry asked just to stop Charlie from his ramble.

"A bit hysterical," Bill Weasley answered. Harry and he shook hands whilst Fleur took Hermione out from under Harry's arm and gave her a big hug.

"I am so glad to see you again," she breathed. "And you 'Arry," she added bringing him into her arms as well.

Bill gave Hermione a brief hug before looking towards his brother.

"We need to talk," he said rather sternly.

"Yea I suppose we do," Charlie replied and the two of them walked out into the yard.

"What's that about? Have they fallen out or something?" Harry said turning quickly to Fleur.

"Non, zey are fine," Fleur replied unconvincingly.

Harry was prevented from questioning her any further by Ginny's arrival. The room became hushed again as she descended the staircase into the kitchen. Wearing black dress robes that Harry had never seen before, she quickly glanced round the room before staring down at her feet, her hair falling and obscuring her face as she did so. She looked small, and Harry was forcibly reminded of the image of her, aged ten at Kings Cross Station, laughing and crying as she waved her brothers off.

Harry couldn't help himself, he smiled. She glanced around the room again and for brief moment their eyes met. She looked as though she was about to come and join him, before Lee Jordan stepped in front of her. Placing his hand on her shoulder and saying something that Harry couldn't make out, he then gently led her into the next room to see Fred.

Harry came out of his reverie to see Hermione looking at him with a knowing smile.

"What?"

"Nothing," she replied, her cheeks still streaked with tears.

She began crying again as soon as Ron appeared, descending the stairs just as Ginny had. For the most part he looked rather composed. No one, Harry reckoned, had grown up in the past year as much as Ron. Sweeping across to them, he immediately put his arms around Hermione and whispered something to her before kissing her on the temple.

"Shall we?" he said bracingly. Harry and Hermione both knew to what he was referring. They were about to go through the door, and see Fred for the very last time. Without answering him, they made their way through the small crowd in the kitchen and through to the sitting room next door.

Even though Harry had been in the room many times before, today it was like walking through the barrier at platform 9 ¾ for the first time, into another world. Fred lay in his coffin in the middle of the room, with George sitting on a chair set beside his head. Ginny was leaning over him, rearranging items placed in the coffin, including a beater's bat and some products from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Lee was leaning against the fire place and looked rather relaxed, laughing and joking with George.

"Sorry," he said immediately, noticing Hermione's stricken face.

"Oh," George said, rearranging his face into a most solemn look. "The prefect has arrived to stop the party."

"So she should," Ginny said semi-sternly. "Honestly, you can't make fun of him when he can't answer for himself."

"Never stopped Fred making fun of Ron, and he could never answer for himself," Harry replied. Ginny looked round and smiled, but Harry could see her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm going to wait outside," Lee said, casting a furtive glance at Harry. "Fred, it's been good mate. I'll see you around." And he quickly left before he succumbed to tears.

"You know," George said, as soon as the door had closed. "For someone who talks for a living, he's not very good with words."

"Talks for a living?" Harry inquired.

"Yea 'cause of Potterwatch, he's got his own show on the WWN," Ron replied.

"Cool."

There was a brief pause and then:

"Wonder why he never came back as a ghost?" George said.

"Maybe he still can," said Ginny.

"No," Ron said gently, joining her beside the coffin whilst Harry and Hermione hung back. "It happens almost immediately. Moaning Myrtle," he gestured toward Harry, "told us in second year, remember Harry?"

"Yea I remember."

"Pity," George continued with a small smile, although the rest of his face remained devoid of emotion. "We could have used a ghost around the shop. Would have been really entertaining."

"You could have changed the name of it to Weasley and Weasley (deceased)," Hermione chimed in. "You could have fought crime."

"Are you making a joke?" George snapped so quickly Hermione jumped. "Because the last time someone out of the ordinary made a joke, Fred died Hermione."

The room erupted into laughter. Good solid laughter that Harry hadn't felt in a long, long time. After a while Harry couldn't even remember what it was that George had said. He was laughing at all the memories he had of Fred, and he knew the others were doing exactly the same thing.

_"Make way for the heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through..."_

_"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?"_

"_For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That's a basilisk, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that's glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it's safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the last thing you ever do."_

_"Has Ron saved a goal yet?"  
"Well, he can do it if he thinks no one is watching him. So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up on his end Saturday."_

_"Harry! Simply splendid to see you, old boy-- Mum! How really corking to see you--"_

"It's time," Bill said putting his head round the door.

"Coming now," Ginny replied. She bent her head close to Fred's and whispered something that Harry couldn't hear and he knew he would never ask about. Straightening up, she turned and walked quickly from the room just as Lee had.

Hermione joined Ron by the coffin.

"Fred you teased me and you made fun of me and you really, really made me laugh. And I really enjoyed spending all those summers with you and going to the Quidditch World Cup, and watching you play Quidditch with Harry and telling you off in the common room," she spoke. "And I… I was really looking forward to you finding out I'd kissed Ron," she finished rather flushed.

"Yea I was rather looking forward to that too," Harry agreed, coming forward and looking at Fred for the first time properly. He looked very different from how Harry remembered him. Some of the bodies Harry had seen at the other funerals had looked like they were simply sleeping, but some, like Fred, looked completely drained of life, like waxworks.

_Because he is. He's dead. He's gone on._

This wasn't Fred at all, this was a shell. Fred was… well Harry didn't know where Fred was. He was wherever Harry's parents where, with Sirius and Lupin, and Tonks and Mad-eye, and Dumbledore. A tremendous feeling washed over Harry, so strong he was sure the others must have felt it too. They didn't of course. None of them would ever have the understanding that Harry had about death and what it really meant. Harry parents had never left him, they had been with him every step of the way, though out of reach and unseen. Behind the veil. It would be the same with Fred, with them always, watching them, but unable to comment, until they met again when he would tease them relentlessly about the choices they had made in their lives, Harry was sure of it. And Fred would be happy, and Harry felt guilty no longer.

"We should leave," Harry suggested to Hermione. "Thanks Fred, for everything." He didn't say goodbye. He took Hermione's hand and led her from the room, pausing at the door for one final glance.

_Give her hell from us, Peeves._

_We did Fred, we gave them hell. Wish you could have been there to see it._

They left Ron and George alone, who emerged from the room a few moments later, George being physically supported by his little brother. For all his jokes and appearances of composure, when it came to the final separation, it had been almost too much for him to bear.

The service was short and exactly the same as all the others Harry had attended, with the tufty, little wizard making the same speech Harry had heard countless times now. At least he assumed it was, he wasn't listening, being far more preoccupied with the small red head, standing directly in front of him beside her mother.

--

The only other funeral that Harry attended after that was Lupin and Tonks'. It was a much smaller gathering, with a buffet laid on at Tonks' parents' house afterwards. It was there that Harry met his Godson for the very first time.

"Do you think he knows what's going on?" Hermione asked, looking at Teddy's hair, which was today a shade of the brightest pink, just like his mother's.

"Maybe," Harry replied, looking down at the baby he was cradling. "I'd like to think it was more than just coincidence."

"Harry, you've got to support the head more," Mrs Weasley instructed him, walking over to where Harry was sitting on the sofa between Hermione and Ginny. "Would you like me to take him?"

"Leave him alone Mum," Ginny scolded her. "He's fine."

"I'm just going to hand him back to Mrs Tonks anyway. I think she was going to feed him," he said, carefully getting up – Mrs Weasley still gave a little gasp and made gestures like she was trying to catch the baby – and walking into the kitchen. Andromeda had just finished making him a bottle.

"Would you like to do it?" she said, handing it to him.

"Uh…"

"Like this," Andromeda said, showing Harry what to do with the bottle. "See," she yawned. She looked very, very tired and worn.

"Mrs Tonks, if you want I could take him for a while. Give you a rest," Harry suggested.

Andromeda smiled at him.

"Harry you're seventeen, you don't want to be lumbered with a baby."

"I want to help. I'm his Godfather."

"I know," Andromeda sighed. "Just as long as you don't get framed for your best friends' murder and thrown into Azkaban I'll be happy, ok?"

"I'll try."

"You're right though, you are his Godfather, and you should be as involved as you want to be." She was talking more to herself than to Harry.

"If you need _anything_…"

"My daughter back."

"I'm sorry," Harry said lamely.

"For what?" Andromeda said sharply. "You didn't kill her. Bellatrix did."

"_What?!_"

"My sister killed my daughter out of her hatred for me. That's something I need to deal with myself, Harry. You can't help."

Harry was stunned. He completely missed the fact that Teddy had now finished his bottle, until he started to cry.

"He needs winded," Andromeda said, acting as if nothing untoward had occurred. "I'll take him and put him to bed."

Harry was left alone in the kitchen. He went to the sink and got himself a glass of water to steady his head. Bellatrix killed Tonks? That woman is twisted.

_Was. She's gone now too._

Good. But still, I'm entitled to be shocked.

"You're Harry, yes?"

Harry turned round to see a small woman, with short curly blonde hair, staring up at him. She looked away quickly when their eyes locked.

"Yes," Harry replied shortly. He was not in the mood to talk to admirers. Nor did this woman seem to be in the mood to talk to him.

"I…" she started, looking down at her hands which she was vigorously wringing. "I'm…"

"Hey Harry, is everything ok?" It was Ginny. "Sorry I didn't realise… I thought you were alone."

"He is," the stranger replied politely, in an accent Harry found very hard to place. "I was just leaving. It was really good to meet you Harry," she said, forcing herself to look at him, and left.

"Who was that?"

"I have no idea. A well-wisher probably. Although…"

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I just thought - It doesn't matter." For a moment something had stirred in Harry's memory, but it was buried deep and he dismissed it. He threw his glass into the sink in frustration. Thankfully it didn't break. "I'm tired, I think I'm going to go home."

"Oh ok," Ginny replied quietly.

"Yea, bye…"

--

Idiot. Stupid idiot. First time he'd been alone with Ginny since his seventeenth birthday and he decides he's tired and goes home. It wasn't entirely his fault though. He had just had a nasty shock about Tonks, and that woman, who was she and what was she even doing at the funeral? But he shouldn't have taken it out on Ginny, he should have told her what had happened and what he had been thinking. Ginny would have listened, she always did.

But what had he been thinking? That Riddle dying would end everything? That everything would just be tied up in a neat package? Every question answered, every mystery solved? Been there, done that, next part of my life now please.

_I think I'm going to go home._

That was another sticking point. Where was home? Too old for Hogwarts, and too much of a wizard for Privet Drive. The Burrow had always been the type of home Harry had wanted but he couldn't stay there, with Percy back and Fred dead, the family needed some time on their own to heal themselves. For a while he had pondered whether he should ask Hermione if he could stay with her, before she had come to him to ask exactly the same thing.

"See my parents sold the house when they emigrated, so I was wondering if I could stay with you for a while?" she had asked tentatively. "At number 12?"

--

It was amazing how quickly they had torn through the house in those first few days after the funerals. They managed to get much more done than they ever had the first summer they had spent there. Kreacher had even agreed to take Mrs Black's portrait down, as long as Harry promised not to destroy it. It was placed instead into Regulus' old room, which Harry had also promised not to change, but use to store all the trinkets that Kreacher had decided were too precious to throw out and that Harry would prefer to seal away for all eternity

"I can't believe he could have done that the whole time. Just clicked his fingers and it was off," Ron said, gazing at the wall where the portrait had once been 'permanently' stuck.

"Well House-elfs have always had a different type of magic to wizards," Hermione yawned a reply. It was late and they had been working all day. "I've been trying to tell you."

"Yeah, yeah," Ron said rolling his eyes.

"I'm going to go…" Harry started but they were already off, bickering away as they always did, but now it was usually interspersed with rather sickening looks of trust and understanding.

Harry made his way upstairs, walked into the drawing room and sat down on the old sofa in front of the fire. And that is how Harry Potter ended up sitting alone, in his new house, in his new life, exactly one month to the day.

--


	2. Who Knew?

Thanks for the reviews.

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**Chapter 2 : Who Knew?**

"Harry!"

"Harry!"

"Harry! Where are you?"

Harry lifted his head up from the sofa where he had fallen asleep.

"S'on ma so.. fa," he mumbled. They wouldn't have heard him, but they would find him soon enough he thought, so he lay back down again and waited.

The door creaked slowly open.

"Harry!" came Hermione's disembodied voice.

Harry pulled his head up again and looked towards the door, it was not Hermione but Ginny that stood there. He smiled and she smiled back. Over the years he had gotten used to dreams merging seamlessly with reality, but the power of his subconscious never ceased to amaze him.

"You're back again then," he said to her. Harry was also no stranger to recurring dreams.

She looked at him slightly bemused.

"Of course, you've got no idea you've been here every night this week," he tried to explain to her. "You're a dream. Dreams have no memory."

"That's right," she said.

"Wish you weren't a dream though," Harry sighed as he stretched out. "I really want to talk to you."

"So talk," she said as she walked slowly across the room and sat on the arm of his sofa.

"No point. I've told you it all before, well, the 'dream you', anyway."

"Tell me again," she insisted. "I've got no memory remember? What would you say to me if I were really here?"

"I'd tell you..." There was so much that he really wanted to tell her, but at the moment it seemed futile to repeat the words he had said to her every night in his dreams since Lupin and Tonks' funeral. Ginny was much more fully formed tonight that she had ever appeared before and he just wanted to gaze at her.

Harry took a deep breath as he looked into her bright brown eyes.

"I missed you."

Every night Harry had said the same thing and every night Ginny would react differently. Sometimes she would scream and shout, sometimes she would act indifferently, and sometimes she would profess her undying love and tell him how much she missed him too. Tonight she simply wiped a solitary tear off her cheek and smiled at him.

"Sorry," Harry said.

She nodded.

"Do you think you have a boyfriend? In real life I mean. You definitely don't in my dream," Harry asked. It was something that had been niggling at him since Lupin's funeral. He was worried that Ginny might have taken his abrupt departure as a brush off and moved on.

"No I don't think I would," Ginny replied. "I think I still really like you."

"I hope so," Harry said, thinking about his seventeenth birthday. "I'd really like to kiss you."

"So kiss me."

"No because then I'll just wake up feeling sad and lonely."

Ginny held her hair back with one hand, and placing the other on the back of the sofa to steady herself, bent down and gently brushed her lips against his. Harry could almost feel it, it seemed so real.

He could feel it. It was real.

"I'm awake," Harry yelped, sitting bolt upright.

"Good, you're awake," Mr Weasley said brightly, striding into the room.

"Found him," Ginny said. She was already standing up beside the fire place, looking wonderfully innocent.

"Yes, good girl, good girl. Harry sorry to wake you but I need you to come downstairs to the kitchen."

"Wha-? Why?" Harry felt very wrong footed and was beginning to wonder if he was in fact still dreaming, when without prompting, Ginny gave him a big pinch on the arm when her father wasn't looking.

"The Minister's coming," Mr Weasley announced.

"Shacklebolt? Why?"

"Don't have a clue, but he'll be here any moment so you'll need to get up. We'll see you down there." And he and Ginny left.

--

"What time is it?" Hermione yawned as Harry entered the kitchen. She was sitting at the table with Ron, Mr Weasley and Ginny. Kreacher was making them all cups of tea.

"It's just after four," Ron replied, glancing at his watch.

"In the morning?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink Master Harry?" Kreacher asked.

"No. Thank you Kreacher, go back to bed."

"Thank you sir," and he retreated to his den.

"Why is Shacklebolt coming anyway? Is this to do with the house?"

Harry and Hermione had been successful in doing away with the enchantments Mad-Eye had put on the house for Snape, but they were still worried about just how many Death Eaters, that still remained at large, could enter freely into the house since Yaxley had been brought through the Fidelius charm by Hermione.

"Because I didn't mean to annoy him with it," Harry continued hastily. "I just didn't know who else to ask. I don't know any of the other aurors."

"Nobody really does any more," Mr Weasley replied. "Kingsley has shaken up the whole department, the whole Ministry really. People are changing departments so fast the memos keep getting lost."

"At least they have jobs," Hermione said quietly whilst Harry took a seat beside Ginny. He deliberately brushed his forearm against hers under the table and was pleased when he felt her run her fingers over his hand, before she reached her hands across the table to Hermione.

"You'll be fine," Ginny reassured her.

"We've got no NEWTs, and no matter what we did, we can't live off the fact we defeated Voldemort - "

"Riddle," Harry corrected her.

"You're never going to be happy 'til we're all calling him Tommy-boy, are you?" Ron interjected. Harry shook his head and grinned.

"Well anyway, we can't live off the fact we defeated him for the rest of our lives," Hermione finished.

"We can try," Ron suggested. "And besides Harry's loaded so we can always live off him."

"Ron," Mr Weasley said warningly.

"I'm joking Dad."

"I'm not sure how I'm going to get to my money anyway," Harry spoke. "I have a funny feeling I might be banned from Gringott's for life ever since we… destroyed it. Is that why Shacklebolt's coming here instead of calling us in to the Ministry? He's afraid we might destroy it… again?"

"Actually I think I could do with you doing that," answered Kingsley's low booming voice. "Would save me having to pay magical maintenance overtime for the remodelling of the Atrium."

Harry stood up and shook his hand, as did Ron and Hermione, and the new Minister for Magic stepped out of the fireplace and into the kitchen. It was only when Harry saw Ginny stiffen slightly that he realised Percy Weasley had just joined them as well.

"Sorry for the hour," Kingsley continued as everyone took a seat around the table. "We've been working round the clock at the Ministry. Major clean up operation."

"We've been doing a bit of that ourselves," Harry laughed. "The house you know," he said gesturing to the floors above him.

"Trying to make it habitable? Didn't you lot try that once before?"

"Yes but we've got Kreacher on side this time," Ron answered.

"He's been wonderful," Hermione enthused.

"And we've got a lot more time on our hands."

As Ron spoke Harry looked down at his own. The self inflicted scar on the back of his left hand shone back at him. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach about what Kingsley was about to ask him. Even though he liked Kingsley far more than he had ever liked Fudge or Scrimgeour, he would still have to give him the same answer. He was not about to become a poster boy for the Ministry, even if it was now operating in a way he could agree with. His life was finally his own, to do with what he wanted, and what he wanted… well he would just appreciate some time on his own, out of the public eye, so he could discover that for himself.

"Well I was hoping to talk to you about that," Kingsley continued.

"Stop," Harry interrupted him. Everyone at the table looked up at him, Percy looking rather affronted. "I'm sorry Kingsley but I won't do it." He glanced at Ron and Hermione. "They can do whatever they want but I won't do it. I don't want to be the Ministry's poster boy. I've told the Prophet and I've even told the Quibbler - no interviews. I've done my service and I've done my time, now I just want to left in peace."

"But you're an inspiration Harry," Percy said gently. "You deserve to have people to know your story. They should know what you went through."

"And they do. Most of it anyway. They know what happened at the Battle of Hogwarts and that's enough for me."

"But - "

"Harry not giving people a first hand account of exactly what happened doesn't make him any less inspirational Percy," Ginny said, taking hold of Harry's hand under the table. "And we all have our stories, we all fought, including you. None of us will ever forget."

There was a general muttering of agreement from around the table, including Kreacher, who had popped his head out of his cupboard to listen.

"I didn't mean…" Percy tried to apologise.

"We know Perce," Ron replied. "We don't want to talk about it either," he added to Kingsley. "It's probably better that people don't know exactly what happened."

Harry knew he was referring to the trouble the locket had caused both before and after Ron had left and returned to them.

"That's not what Kingsley is here for," Mr Weasley said as Harry made a movement to stand up. "Please listen."

"Thank you Arthur," Kingsley said, though he was looking far less sure of himself than he had been when he had arrived. "First of all I'm not here to question what you did. All I can do is thank you. But yes, you are right I am here to ask you to help at the Ministry. _Not_ as a 'poster boy'," he added quickly. "I want you to help me rebuild it. I want you to come work for me." He paused allowing them to soak in this information.

"How? We don't have any NEWTs, any qualifications," Hermione spluttered.

"Well all exams were cancelled last year so everyone who attended Hogwarts is getting an honorary pass."

"But we didn't," Hermione protested. "We didn't attend."

"'_Mione_," Ron shushed her.

"That's strange because I'm almost sure I saw you all there at the end of last year," Kingsley said winking at her.

"What do you want us to do?" Hermione said, beaming at him.

"The Auror department, I would think," Kingsley said.

"Be hard to find better Dark Wizard catchers anywhere," Mr Weasley added.

Hermione just looked dumbstruck whilst Ron muttered, "Bloody hell".

As Hermione gave Ron a huge hug and then ran round the table to do the same to Harry, Harry saw his own neutral expression mirrored in Ron's face. Only Ginny seemed to notice as the rest of the table was celebrating.

"What's the matter?" she asked looking between the two.

"I can't," Ron said.

"Of course you can Ron, you've more than proved yourself," Percy said encouragingly.

"No I can't," Ron repeated. "I've already got a job."

"_What?!_" Hermione shrieked. "You never said!"

"Well you were so worried about what you were going to do I didn't want to upset you," he explained, shrinking under the glare that both Hermione and his father were giving him. "And I haven't discussed it with Mum and Dad yet."

"This'll be good," Ginny whispered to Harry, who couldn't decide whether he was smiling at her joke or the feeling of her breath in his ear.

"What is it Ron?" Mr Weasley asked.

"George asked me to join the shop. At Fred's funeral."

"Come here," Mr Weasley said, his face unreadable.

"Look I know you and Mum would prefer me to take a job at the Ministry but I just reckon jokes are more my thing than fighting evil wizards," Ron reasoned, without leaving his seat. "George agrees. He says they were going to ask me to work there anyway, even if Fred hadn't…"

"Come here," Mr Weasley said again. Ron slowly got up and walked round to his father, readying himself for whatever barrage he was about to receive. Only Ron seemed to be surprised when he brought him into a tight embrace.

"Brilliant," Ginny said looking on at the poignant scene. "Does that mean I can work for George when I leave school?"

"Do you want to?" Hermione asked a little sceptically.

"No but it might be all I'm good for. I've missed out on a whole year of proper school thanks to Snape and the Carrows," she said bitterly. "And nobody's going to give _me_ honorary NEWTs."

"I don't think you'll have any problems," Kingsley said. "Not with an Order of Merlin first class."

"What?" said Ron, as his father let go of him and sat down with a broad smile. Harry got the feeling that he had known about this for some time.

"I said I don't think she'll have any problems getting a job with an Order of Merlin first class."

"For the protecting the students of Hogwarts, and being a founding member of a rebellion against the toughest regime the school has ever seen in its entire history," Percy added.

"Youngest ever recipient," Mr Weasley included.

"But what about them?" Ginny said, indicating Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Goes without saying," Kingsley replied, surveying her with great amusement.

"And Luna and Neville?" Ginny challenged him.

"Should be receiving their letters sometime this week."

"And the rest of the DA?"

"Second class. We decided to make a distinction," Kingsley explained. "Fred will be receiving his posthumously of course."

Only when she was satisfied that everyone would be celebrated for the part they had played did Ginny relax her stance, and let out one of Ron's favourite swear words, which her father decided to ignore.

"There will be a ceremony of course, though not for some time. Probably not until we get everything sorted at the Ministry. Speaking of which…" he turned his gaze from Ginny to Harry sitting next to her. "You haven't said anything about my offer Harry."

"I… I need to think about it," Harry replied, ignoring Hermione's incredulous look.

"Right, well I think I better head back into work," Kingsley replied, standing up and heading towards the fireplace, Percy doing the same.

"Work? It's barely dawn," Ron yawned.

"Lots to do, lots to do," Mr Weasley said, standing up and fishing some Floo powder out of his pocket. "Do you want some?" he asked, offering some to Ginny.

"No I was going to stay and help out here."

"Yea, she can come home with me later," Ron said pointedly, giving Harry a strange look.

"Come on, you can show me what you were doing in the drawing room," Ginny said, smirking at Ron and seizing Harry by the shoulder.

"Are you coming?" Harry asked the other two, feeling slightly uncomfortable about leaving with just Ginny in front of Mr Weasley.

"Actually I was just hoping I could have a word with the Minister," Hermione said, looking hopefully at Ron.

"Yea, ok," he replied cryptically. "We _will_ be up in a minute though."

"Bye!" Ginny called, as she ran up the stairs ahead of Harry. He gave a low wave to the room at large and followed her.

"That was crazy," she exclaimed, as she danced up the next flight of stairs leading to the drawing room.

"Yeah," was all Harry could say in reply.

"Order of Merlin, _first class_!"

Harry said nothing. He would think about that later. At the moment all he could think about was the offer Kingsley had made him. An Auror? It was the only thing he'd ever thought about doing when he was at school, but that seemed so long ago now, and so much had happened. Did he really want to spend the rest of his life chasing after dark witches and wizards? After doing nothing but that for the past year?

"You ok?" Ginny asked, pushing open the drawing room door.

"Just tired," Harry said, realising that he was. He crossed the room and sat down on the sofa where Ginny had found him earlier.

"You're thinking about the job offer aren't you?" she asked, sitting down beside him.

"I didn't know you were worried about going back to school," Harry said ignoring her.

"Well it's going to be strange isn't it?" Ginny replied after a pause, and Harry was grateful for her accepting the change of subject. "I'm going to be so far behind in all my classes what with missing the last term, and I haven't had a proper Defence class in over a year."

"Well I could help you with that," Harry offered.

"Like a tutor?" she said, moving closer to him.

"If you like," he replied, running a cautious hand through the ends of her hair.

"I don't have any money to pay you."

"I'm sure we can sort something out."

Kissing Ginny again, properly kissing her again, felt so good that Harry thought he would never stop. So he didn't. Not until he heard Ron and Hermione coming up the stairs to join them a while later, probably making more noise than they really needed to.

When they entered the room Harry and Ginny were sitting on either end of the sofa, making polite conversation with each other. Ron looked quite satisfied, whilst Hermione cast a cynical glance over the two of them.

"I'm going back to bed," she said thickly. Harry saw that she had been crying but she had turned and left before he could say anything.

"What's happened?"

"Nothing," Ron said quickly. "Nothing, she was just asking Kingsley to help find her parents. You know, see if the Ministry in Australia can help."

"What did he say?" Ginny asked.

"He was really positive. Said they'd only be too happy to help. Shouldn't take too long to find them," he finished unconvincingly. "I think I might go have a lie down too. Dad got us up really early this morning asking us to come here with him."

"Saying that the Minister had something to tell us," Ginny continued. "Order of _Merlin_, Ron."

"I know," Ron grinned. "And he says they might even put us on the chocolate frog cards. Imagine children collecting us! Blimey."

He still had a look of awe on his face as he slowly closed the drawing room door and presumably headed up to an empty bed somewhere in the house. Ginny immediately moved down to Harry's end of the sofa and lifted his arm round her.

"Chocolate frog cards," she whispered, turning and stretching out so that she was now lying with her head rested on his chest. "What do you think they'll put on yours? Harry Potter – the boy who continued to live?"

"Ginny Weasley – the girl with the bat-bogey hex."

"Ronald Weasley – the man who caught them together," Ron said throwing the door back open again.

"Go to sleep Ron," Ginny called without moving.

"You know Dad was asking me about Hermione and me, said Mum wanted to know exactly what was going on."

"What did you say?" Harry asked, suppressing a snigger.

"I said I thought there might be something going on with you two."

"And what did he say?" It was suddenly no laughing matter.

"Ron!" Hermione called from upstairs.

"He didn't believe me," Ron replied, ignoring her, and Harry relaxed a little. "So is there?"

But before Harry could answer, Hermione called again more urgently and Ron turned and left, this time for good.

"Is there?" Harry repeated, looking down at Ginny who was still curled up in his arms, but she had already fallen asleep.

--

Harry felt like he had only been asleep seconds when Ron crashed through the drawing room door for the second time. Glancing at his watch through bleary eyes he managed to make out that it was just before nine o'clock.

"Ginny, get up we're going," Ron said, standing resolutely in the doorway and staring hard at nothing in particular.

"Ginny," Harry said gently when she didn't stir. "Ginny, wake up."

Harry was in the process of extracting himself from the entanglement of limbs that seemed to have formed while they were sleeping, when Ginny grabbed his left wrist abruptly.

"Too early," she mumbled looking at his watch.

"Ginny," Ron snapped, making his presence known to her. "We're going. Now."

"I thought we didn't need to go home until this evening?"

"I changed my mind, I don't want to stay here."

"Well why do I have to go then?" Ginny said, standing up just as Crookshanks darted into the room through Ron's legs. "I'm fine here."

"Fine."

"What have you done anyway?"

There was a loud crack as Ron disapparated. Ginny stood there, stands on her hips looking like she had just been robbed of what would surely have been a spectacular argument. She turned, with a ferocious glare, to Harry.

"Go after him," she demanded. "And bring him back."

"Why me? Why don't you go?"

"Because I can't apparate and somebody needs to check on Hermione."

"We'll both go to Hermione," Harry said, reckoning that this was the lesser of two evils. "Ron will come back when he's calmed down. Trust me."

They found Hermione sitting on her bed in the room she and Ginny had shared the very first summer they had spent in Grimmauld Place. She looked up when Ginny entered the room but quickly hid her face in her bushy hair when she saw Harry. It was clear she had been crying for quite some time.

"What has he done now?" Ginny said in a mocking tone as she sat down beside her. Harry hung back near the doorway with the distinct impression he would have been better going after Ron.

"Nothing," Hermione answered blankly. "It's me. It's my fault."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other in surprise.

"I told him that I wanted to go back."

Harry looked to Ginny again, intending to exchange a confused glance, but received nothing in return. Instead Ginny said, "Still? But they offered you a job, you don't need to go back."

"But I want to."

There was a brief pause where both girls seemed to understand something that Harry didn't have a hope of guessing without help.

"Sorry, but - "

"Hermione is going back to Hogwarts," Ginny filled him in.

"And Ron's upset? You're not making him go back as well, are you?"

"No of course not," Hermione sniffed.

"What's the problem then?"

"Harry, could you go get us something to eat please?" Ginny asked. "I'm really hungry."

Harry did as he was asked. Silently praising Ginny for giving him a reason to leave the room. He took his time making several rounds of toast and three mugs of tea, before slowly climbing the stairs to the first floor again. He paused on the landing when he heard his name being mentioned.

"Do you think Harry will take the job with the Ministry then?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, he wouldn't talk about it."

"Typical."

"Did… did McGonagall say he could back to Hogwarts?"

"The letter said we were all welcome. Why? Do you think he wants to?"

"Don't know. I can't believe you wrote to McGonagall to ask could you all go back! Do you plan for everything Hermione?"

"Somebody has to! Do you want Harry to go back to Hogwarts?"

"I don't know," Ginny groaned.

"Yes you do," Hermione teased. "Did you kiss him?"

"You know I have."

"I meant recently. Earlier today perhaps?"

Ginny remained silent.

"Is everything alright?"

"Uh huh. I'm just… I think I'll feel better when I know exactly what's going on. Did he… did he mention me at all last year?"

"No," Hermione said gently. "But he wouldn't talk to me about anything like that anyway."

Harry started to get the feeling he shouldn't listen to anymore. He rattled the tray he was carrying loudly and then entered the room again.

"Tea and toast?" he offered, setting the tray down on the bedside table.

"Yes please," Ron said from the doorway.

"I only made three cups," Harry said stupidly, not knowing what else to say.

"He can have mine," Hermione said.

"I shouldn't have left," Ron said quickly. "But I came back."

"You always do," Hermione replied.

"And it only took twenty minutes this time," Harry said, glancing at his watch.

Ginny, the only one in the room not privy to the true meaning of this joke, took it upon herself to berate Ron the others behalf.

"Have you anything else to say?" she said shortly.

"Sorry," Ron grunted.

"That's it?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

"How about explaining yourself? All Hermione did was tell you she wanted to go back to Hogwarts and you blew up. She's not making you go back, you idiot."

"I know but I might want to."

"_What?!_"

"Well it would be a good laugh wouldn't it? All of us back at Hogwarts," he said looking round at Harry. "Nothing to worry about anymore."

"Except our NEWTs," Hermione pointed out.

They all laughed.

"But then working at the Ministry would be cool too," Ron continued. "But I can't do either because I already said to George."

"Why don't you do both?" Harry suggested.

"What?"

"I'm sure you could fit the shop round working at the Ministry," Harry went on.

"Ron's allergic to effort," said Ginny.

"Fine," Ron said, looking at her with steely determination and then turning to Harry. "Fine. I'll speak to George tonight and then I'll go and see Kingsley in the morning. I'm going to do both."

"As long as you're happy," Hermione said.

"I am," Ron said more firmly still. "This is what I want to do."

"And I want to go back to Hogwarts, so I'm – I'm telling Kingsley no," Hermione said.

Harry stood looking between them for what felt like an age. No matter what he chose to do now there was no way they would all be together. Ron and Hermione had been his constant companions for seven years, but now he would effectively be choosing one over the other, if he didn't choose to do something else entirely and separate from them both. They were breaking up the "Dream Team" as the Prophet had called them, and Harry realised that from this moment things would never quite be the same between them. Their story was over and now was the time to start a new one.

He didn't seem to be the only one effected either, albeit for very different reasons.

"Well it's only a year isn't it? A school year really, so it's only nine months," Ron said very quickly.

"And there's the holidays," Hermione added.

"And Hogsmeade weekends. I can come and visit you."

"What about you?" Hermione asked, turning to Harry, breaking the tension between Ron and herself.

"What? Well yeah… I can visit you too."

"So you're not going back to school? You're going to be an Auror?"

"He might not want to do either Hermione," Ginny interjected before Harry could answer. "He might not know what he wants to do at all at the moment. We should just give him time to figure things out and… wait."

The hint was so subtle that even Ron picked up on it.

"Yeah, so we should leave," he said to Hermione, and they did, quickly.

"I'm not going back to Hogwarts," Harry said as soon as the door had closed behind them.

"I know that," Ginny said, still sitting on Hermione's bed and determinedly not looking at him.

"Ron's right though it would have been fun but it… It just wouldn't be the same. I've grown up too much in the past year. I've changed."

"I know that too."

He gently sat down beside her.

"I heard you talking to Hermione. You said you wanted to know exactly what was going on so…"

He took her hand and paused, feeling very nervous.

"Harry, we both know what you're going to say so just say it," Ginny said impatiently.

"I was wondering… hoping really…"

Ginny looked round at him for the first time, a curious expression on her face.

"What?" he asked.

"No, go on," she encouraged him.

"…whether you'd like to start seeing me again?" he finished. "Properly," he clarified. "Not just like…" He knew he was turning red, but forced himself to keep her gaze. They both knew he was referring to their tryst on the sofa just a few hours before.

"Yes," Ginny said simply, and Harry moved towards her to kiss her.

"I suppose I may send an owl to the Prophet to tell them," he sardonically whilst picking a copy of today's paper which was sitting on the dresser. Harry looked down at it to see a large photo of himself staring back, accompanied by a trivial story about him buying new robes several days previously.

"Well if you really have to."

"They're going to find out sooner or later. Sorry but it comes as part of the package now. Me and the media."

"Can't I just have you?"

And when Harry continued to look at her she added: "Do you remember what it was like the first time we went out?"

"It was great."

"Yes but do you remember how many people used to stop me in the corridors and bathrooms to ask me questions about you? And that was just because they thought you _might_ be the chosen one. Can you imagine what it would be like now?"

"What if we didn't tell anyone?" said Harry, with a strange idea forming in his head.

"What? Anyone?"

"Not just yet. Not until this all blows down a bit."

"That could be years."

"I'll make it worth your while," he promised.

"I'll hold you to that."

---

Following Ginny into the drawing room a few moments later, Harry fought hard to keep a huge grin from his face, and was careful to place himself as far away as possible from her when he sat down.

"Did you clear things up then?" Hermione asked from the floor where she was playing with Crookshanks, an anxious note in her voice.

"Yes," Harry said shortly.

"Oh," said Hermione dejectedly.

Harry noticed Ginny looking at him out of the corner of his eye and winked. He knew that both Ron and Hermione could keep a secret, a theory which had been tried and tested on many occasions, but really, it was more fun this way. And it felt almost… refreshing… to have a secret for once that made him happier than he could remember.

"Well," said Ron, clearing his throat. "If there _was_ something going on you'd better talk to Mum and Dad first. Tell them the truth this time."

"What?" asked Harry, trying to sound unconcerned and failing badly.

"You haven't told him!" Ron exclaimed, turning to Ginny. "You actually haven't told him!"

"Told me what?"

"You didn't tell him either!" Ginny said defensively.

"Wasn't my place to."

"Told me what?!"

"Well when Ginny came home from school last year she was really cut up, what with you dumping her," Ron began to explain.

"_Ron_!" Ginny said furiously. "Shut up!"

"I didn't dump her," Harry said coolly.

"Anyway," Ron dismissed him. "She was really upset and Mum and Dad wanted to know what was wrong but of course she wouldn't tell them. So I told them."

"_Ron!_" said Hermione, sounding outraged.

"I didn't say _who_. I just said they'd broken up. So a few days passed and every time someone mentioned you she'd get a bit weepy. So Mum and Dad started to put two and two together, and they put it to Ginny…"

"Well how would it have been for them?" Ginny interrupted, looking ferociously at Ron. "They were already worried enough about you leaving school and running off to fight Voldemort. How would they have taken it if they thought there was a possibility that someone would be able to link Harry to me as well? They wouldn't have let me go back to school and we didn't have another ghoul to disguise as me… So I denied it."

"Furiously denied it," Ron added. "None of the rest of us would have got away speaking to Mum like that."

"I said it was Dean," Ginny said, looking at Harry apologetically.

"Dean," said Harry, feeling a long forgotten creature begin to stir in his chest.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said. "But it was bad enough having Mum look at me pityingly every time Dean was mentioned on Potterwatch. It would have been so much worse if she knew it was actually you I was worried about."

"Dad didn't look at you pityingly though did he? He found it very hard to feel sorry for Dean after he upset his little girl so much," Ron taunted. "I think his exact words were that he was going 'truss him up'."

"So," Harry said, clapping his hands together. "Who's for a spot of cleaning?"


	3. Years From Now

Yeah so I changed the name of the story. I didn't like the first one and this one seemed to fit the idea better, plus its a song title - do you see what I did there?

Again thank you for all the lovely reviews. **

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Chapter 3: Years From Now 

It had been so long since Harry had flown, properly flown, on a broomstick that he just couldn't resist himself. He knew the proper thing would have been to wait until nightfall, until darkness could discreetly cover him, but he had such a strange day already and it was only just past noon.

--

Harry had been woken that morning by Hermione, still in her nightdress and looking distinctly worried about something.

"Harry, I think you need to have a look at this."

"What is it?"

"Downstairs."

She gave him a moment to put on his glasses, and wrap a dressing gown round himself before leading him down to the drawing room.

"There," she said, striding across the room and pulling the curtain back slightly.

Harry looked. He took off his glasses, cleaned them, placed them back and then looked again. He had been right the first time. Outside in the tiny square in which Grimmauld Place was set, stood a group of what where unmistakeably wizards.

"A large gathering or a small crowd?" asked Harry.

"I would say the beginnings of a small crowd," Hermione replied, having another look herself. "It's even got bigger in the time it took me to wake you up."

"They can't see the house though can they? The Fidelius charm is still holding?"

"Yes I think so. If they could I think they would have tried to deliver those by now," she said, pointing at a couple of wizards near the front that seemed to be carrying packages, just as another group apparated into the street.

"Oh that's ridiculous," scoffed Hermione. "The muggles will be getting up soon. They're going to notice this!"

As if she had summoned them, officials from the Ministry of Magic chose that exact moment to swoop down on the scene. Hoping that this would somehow sort out the situation, Harry closed the curtain and sat down.

"Well we thought something like this would happen today," Hermione said, joining him.

It was true. It had been a week since Rita Skeeter had written her article in the Daily Prophet theorising that Harry might just be currently residing in Grimmauld Place, after gaining 'insider knowledge' at the ministry. Since then there had been a small trickle of wizards passing through the square each day, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but all had been unsuccessful. As Rita was not a secret keeper for the Order, no one who had gained this information from the paper could see the house.

"What are you going to do?" asked Hermione.

"Well as most of Wizarding Britain will soon be on the doorstep I think now might be a good time for me to go to Diagon Alley. Should be quite empty don't you think?"

"Are you going to treat yourself?"

"I might do," Harry replied, getting up to get dressed.

"Harry," Hermione called when he had almost left the room.

She ran over and kissed him on the cheek, handing him a wrapped parcel at the same time.

"Happy Birthday."

"Thanks. I'll be back later ok? No - "

"Party."

--

'That's right,' Harry thought staring down at the new broomstick. He had promised Hermione that he'd be back. What would she think of his blatant disregard of the secrecy act? She'd have told him to pack the broom away and apparate home like he usually did, but where was the fun in that? It was after all his birthday, his 18th birthday, and he should be allowed to take a few risks today.

The invisibility cloak wouldn't stay on him as he flew so he took it from under his robes and stored it in his newly magically expanded rucksack – the birthday gift from Hermione, which was enchanted just like her purse – with the rest of the day's purchases. He cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and pushed off, rising far above the nearly deserted Diagon Alley, into the heavy cloud cover above him. Realising that there was a strong possibility that the crowd wouldn't have been dispersed from his house yet, he turned in midair and headed towards the only other place in the world he knew would grant him sanctuary.

--

A few hours later Harry landed with a soft splat in the muddy yard of the Burrow, as it was just beginning to rain. Mrs Weasley, out tending to some plants near the front door let out a scream and peered at him strangely, pointing the wand at the still visible broom.

"It's me," Harry said, taking the Disillusionment charm off himself, just as Ron and George came charging out of the kitchen.

"Oh Harry!" said Mrs Weasley, lowering her wand and clutching her heart.

"What are you doing here?" asked Ron.

"Uh well…" mumbled Harry.

"We thought you wanted to be left alone today," said George.

"Yeah, Hermione said you didn't want to see anyone," Ron added.

"I never said that. I just said – look can I come inside?"

"Not until you explain why you're here," Ron said, blocking the doorway. "After Hermione made such a carry-on about you being left alone."

"Look I didn't say I wanted to be left completely alone, but I didn't want hundreds of people to turn up at my doorstep with birthday presents, which is exactly what happened when I woke up this morning."

"Lucky you."

"I didn't mean for you to completely ignore my birthday. I just didn't want a big fuss, that's all."

"Oh Ron _move_," scolded Mrs Weasley, having heard enough. "Maybe just a small fuss then dear?" she added to Harry.

"That would be nice thanks."

George and Mrs Weasley both entered the kitchen again, but Ron moved out of their way and further into the yard.

"Do you want to put that in the broom shed?" he said, eyeing the broom in Harry's hand.

"Yea ok," Harry replied.

They both walked round the side of the house to the garden where the shed was. It was beginning to rain quite heavily now.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked. "Do you want me to leave?"

He was a little taken aback by Ron's attitude towards him. They had been getting on extremely well lately, working together on doing up Harry's house and neither could wait to begin work properly in the Ministry after attending an induction meeting just a few days previously.

"No I'm fine," Ron answered stiffly. "Why?"

"Because I'm holding a Firebolt-Mark Two in my left hand and you haven't even commented on it."

"Wow," Ron said half-heartedly. "Cool. Did you get that this morning?"

"Yea… Has – has something happened Ron?"

They had reached the shed. Ron opened it up, stepped inside and lent against the back wall. Harry followed him.

"Look don't take this the wrong way mate," he said quietly. "But you stress people out."

"I what?" Harry said slowly.

"You stress people out at the moment," Ron repeated. "And I don't think Mum can take it, not today."

"I'll go then," Harry said.

"Don't be like that. Of course stay, but just don't be expecting something like last year. Mum's not up to it at the moment. Charlie only left a few days ago and Dad and Percy have been working loads, so there's only really me to look after her and George."

"I'll go," Harry repeated, leaving the shed and out into the magnificent summer storm that was now raging.

"Harry don't," Ron called after him.

"Don't what?" Harry snapped back. "Don't stay with the people I actually want to see on my birthday? Don't stress people out? I don't stress people out Ron. Everybody's going through a rough time at the moment; it's not just me that causes it."

"I know, but Harry… you're the one still having nightmares."

"I don't."

"You do… I've… I've seen it."

Harry didn't want to listen to anymore. He took the broom and stormed out of the shed and up the lane. He didn't really know where he was heading, but if he tried to fly off now he had a good chance of being struck by lightning so on he walked. Why was Ron being like this? In such a foul mood upon seeing him and telling him he made other people feeling uneasy? And nightmares? What nightmares? And even if he was having nightmares he was hardly going to fall asleep at the kitchen table at the Burrow and have one in front of everybody!

Harry was so busy being angry at Ron that he no longer noticed the hard patter of rain that was falling upon him. It also took him a long time to notice the gentle tapping on his shoulder.

"What?" he said when he finally realised someone was there. He glowered as he turned round fully expecting it to be Ron.

Ginny jumped.

"I said where do you think you going in this weather? You can't fly in that you know."

Harry looked round and saw that he had reached the paddock that the Weasley's used to practice quidditch in.

"I wasn't going to."

"Well what were you going to do then? You're soaked," said Ginny, surveying him with her arms folded over a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"So are you," Harry replied. "What are you doing up here anyway?"

"Fred."

Harry looked over to the other side of the paddock where a small headstone marked Fred's final resting place. Harry had helped carry the coffin here himself, and on that day when the sun was shining and streaming through the trees, he thought that there was surely no where else on earth that Fred would rather be.

"I was reading him the paper," Ginny continued. "Thought he might get a kick out of it."

Harry gave a non-committal grunt in reply.

"I know who I'd like to kick it out of. Ron's a prat did you know that?"

"Yes. Did you not?"

Harry laughed.

"Harry you can't be mad at him today. He's bound to be a bit edgy with you after what was written in the paper this morning."

"What's in the paper?"

"Have you not seen it?" Ginny asked, handing it to him.

"Here hold this," Harry said, handing her the broomstick.

"Potter's Love Shack," he read the front page headline aloud. "I am not _living with Hermione!!_"

"Yes you are," Ginny corrected him.

"Not like they say I am!"

"Well that's what put Ron in a bad mood this morning anyway."

"But he _knows_ we're not like that."

"Oh not that," Ginny said quickly. "He's knows you're not shacked up with Hermione, but Mum and Dad didn't did they? He had to tell them it was nonsense, and when it looked like they didn't believe him he had to tell them how he knew."

"He told them about him and 'Mione?" Harry sniggered. "That would have been fun to watch. Wait a minute, they didn't believe him? They think there might be something between me and Hermione?"

"No, of course not. They were only pretending to wind him up, weren't they? To try and wrangle the truth out of him. They're not stupid, they know about Ron and Hermione already, they just wanted to hear it from him."

"Do they know about you and me?"

"Probably," Ginny sighed. "I think they were trying to get me to spill the beans as well, but I'm not as daft as Ron. I told them it might be true and that I really didn't care what was going on between you and Hermione. It threw them off the scent for a bit at least."

"Really?" asked Harry sceptically.

"I'm a very good liar," she assured him.

"I'll remember that. Do you really not mind what it says about me and other girls in the paper?" he asked, remembering Ginny's jealous streak.

She shrugged.

"Keeps me out of the papers doesn't it?" she reasoned, taking it off him to have another look. "Technically they're not even lying about Hermione and you. They just – Harry what's that?"

She had just been in the process of handing him back the broomstick when the name on the handle had caught her eye and she stopped dead.

"It's a broomstick," Harry replied nonchalantly.

"It's a Firebolt – _Mark Two_. I didn't even know these were out yet. When did you get it?"

"This morning. I needed one for work so I thought I'd treat myself."

"It must have cost you a fortune," Ginny said, still looking at it in awe.

"Not really, the man in the shop did me a deal and besides I'm working now. I can afford it. Do you like it then?"

"Uh – yes! Can I have a go on it later if it clears up a bit?"

"I should think so. This one's yours."

Ginny moved her frozen gaze from the broom to Harry's face.

"What?"

"I bought it for you," Harry said slowly and clearly.

"No," she replied. "You said you bought it for you, for work. You said the man in the shop did you a deal."

"He did. Buy one get one free. He said it was his way of saying thanks for everything I've done. Mine's on order, I've to go and pick it up on Thursday."

"Harry I can't take this," she said, pushing it back into his hands.

Harry had expected this, from years of watching Ron get embarrassed when it came to money.

"It's rude to refuse a gift."

"And it's rude to give someone a gift worth hundreds of galleons when you know they couldn't possibly give you something like that in return," she said furiously, turning on her heel and marching back down the lane towards the house.

"Ginny!" Harry called after her. "Please, I didn't mean to upset you!"

"Well you have," she shouted back over her shoulder.

Harry ran after her, catching up with her after only a few strides. He forced his hand into hers and spun her round to face him. It was hard to tell because of the rain but he thought she might have been trying to fight back tears.

"Look - "

"This is exactly what I didn't want Harry. I know you're well off and I know you can probably afford this, but I don't want you to spend this amount of money on me. I don't like you because you're rich, or famous, or because you're _Harry Potter_. I like you because you're Harry – just Harry."

"Thanks?"

"And I _don't_ want other people to think I'm only with you because of the money or the fame ok? I don't want people to call me 'Harry-Potter's-girlfriend'."

"They won't," Harry protested. "They won't even know about the broom."

"I think my parents might notice if I suddenly come home with the world's fastest broom tucked under my arm," she said sardonically.

"I think your parent's might know your name well enough not to call you 'Harry-Potter's-girlfriend," he replied in the same tone. "They don't even know you're my girlfriend."

"They might work that out after this."

"They won't - "

"They're not dumb!"

"I know they're not dumb. Would you let me talk?"

Ginny's face contorted so badly after this remark that Harry felt very relieved that she couldn't legally perform magic for another eleven days. She did, however, remain silent.

"They won't work it out because I've bought everyone gifts. Everyone who helped me over the last seven years. I wanted to say thank you."

"I didn't do anything," mumbled Ginny.

"You fought in the Ministry with me when you were fourteen," Harry corrected her. "You got me to wise up when I was worried that Riddle was possessing me. You named Dumbledore's Army. You helped me when Dumbledore died. You led an uprising in the school last year in my absence and you tried to get me Gryffindor's sword."

Ginny looked at him in surprise.

"Yeah I heard about that," he finished.

"Is everybody's gift this expensive?" she asked, finally taking the broom back from him.

"No," Harry replied honestly. "Yours is special. Are you going to take it then?"

"Ok," she replied, kissing him on the cheek. "But this will do for my birthday as well alright? Don't buy me anything else!"

"I wasn't planning to," Harry laughed, and they walked back down the lane hand in hand, until they were in view of the house.

--

They entered the Burrow to find the kitchen deserted, although there were numerous pots bubbling away on the stove that Harry surmised were probably for his birthday dinner. Ginny lent the broom beside the fireplace and they were just about to sit down and help themselves to some bread rolls when Mrs Weasley came striding into the kitchen.

"Ginny? Is that – what happened to you two?" she shrieked at the sight of them. "No don't sit down, you're soaked through. Upstairs now! The both of you! Ginny go and get changed. Harry help yourself to a bath, the water should be hot, I'll see if I can find some of the boys clothes that will fit you. Honestly you would have thought at this age you would have more sense. You'll catch your death!"

"Oh yeah Mum," said George wandering in from the sitting room to see what the fuss was about. "He managed to defeat Voldemort, but a head cold? That'll kill him."

"Where's Ron?" asked Harry.

"Gone to fetch Hermione," Mrs Weasley replied. "They'll be back soon. Now go! Up the stairs!"

--

"Mrs Weasley?" Harry called down the stairs some forty minutes later. "Did you find anything for me to wear?"

He was standing shouting through an open chink in the bathroom door, wearing only a towel. His own clothes lay forgotten at his feet, too wet to put back on and looking like it would have taken far too long to dry them with his wand.

"Ginny brought some up for you dear," Mrs Weasley called back from the kitchen. "They should be on the landing."

Harry opened the door fully to see a neat pile sitting just outside. He pulled them on quickly.

"Mrs Weasley there's no jumper!"

"Oh ask Ginny, she probably dropped it. I think she's in her room."

Harry hurried down the stairs to Ginny's room, feeling very awkward about walking around the house with no top on, and knocked on her door.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

Ginny opened her door to reveal the jumper sitting perfectly folded on her bed.

"Cold?"

"Just a bit," Harry replied, hastening to put it on. "Why did you steal the jumper?"

"Because I wanted to do this."

"Déjà vu," Harry croaked when they'd broken apart.

"Yes but I've actually got you a present this year as well. Come on downstairs, everyone's waiting."

When Harry entered the kitchen it was to find not only George, Ron and Hermione sitting around the table, but also Angelina Johnston, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet. The three girls cheered and got up to greet him.

"See that," George said enviously, as each girl gave Harry a kiss on the cheek in turn. "They didn't greet me like that."

"It's not your birthday," Angelina chided him. "And you've only got one ear."

"I'm not the Chosen One more like. Harry," he said more seriously, as Harry sat down feeling rather flushed. "You do realise you've made it practically impossible for any man our age to get a date? 'Oh no _I'm_ waiting for _Harry Potter_.'"

"Speak for yourself," Mrs Weasley said brightly, entering from the yard where it was still raining. "Ron doesn't seem to have that problem."

"Mum," Ron groaned, whilst Hermione turned pink.

"You told Mum?" George asked.

Ron nodded, the tops of his ears starting to turn red.

"Idiot."

"Ron and Hermione?" Katie Bell cut in. "I thought it was Harry and Hermione? It said in the paper…"

"The paper says a lot of things," Harry said quickly. "Not a lot of them are true."

"But you do live at 12 Grimmauld Place though," Alicia Spinnet grinned.

"How do you - "

"Oh I spotted them in the crowd outside the house after you left," Hermione explained.

"Oh you weren't."

"Well we wanted to see you," Angelina said unapologetically. "We didn't realise there would be quite so many other people there though."

"Or that the house would be invisible!" Katie added. "We were just about to leave when Ron showed up and told us to come here instead."

"We didn't think you'd mind, unless you're too famous now for your old team mates?" Angelina asked.

"Of course not," Harry said.

"Harry," Alicia spoke with the air of someone stating the obvious. "Why is your house invisible?"

"It's a Fidelius Charm," he explained.

"A what?"

"It's – look _the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London_. Come and visit anytime you'd like."

The girls looked quizzically at him.

"The house will be visible now, trust me."

"Ok. Anyway," Angelina pressed on. "The whole reason we're here is to give you this." She handed him an envelope. "It's from Oliver as well. He would have come but he had a match today."

"Cool," Harry said opening up the season tickets for Puddlemere United. "Thanks very much."

"Well we better be heading on," Alicia said standing up, Katie and Angelina joining her. "We didn't realise you didn't want to see anybody Harry. We didn't mean to intrude."

"Where did you hear - _Hermione_," he said, turning to her. "Will you stop telling people that!"

"That's what you said!" she said defensively.

"I did not. I just said I didn't want a big fuss – like a parade or something. I want to _see_ people!"

"Sorry."

"So you're staying then?" George asked hopefully. The girls nodded, sitting back down. "Good because there might be others coming."

"How many others?" Mrs Weasley asked, as there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," they all called in unison and Harry didn't seem to be the only one surprised to see Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan come strolling in. Ginny had gone completely ashen.

"Hey Harry," said Dean. "Cool house Ron."

"We got your message," Seamus added to George.

"What message?" Harry asked, but George put his finger to his lips and grinned.

--

It soon became apparent that George had invited people to the Burrow for a party via Hermione's enchanted galleons, meaning that everyone in the DA who happened to be looking at their coin would have received an invite. That turned out to be quite a lot.

As the evening wore on the weather cleared up and the sun appeared again, and as people just seemed to keep arriving Mrs Weasley was quick to relocate everyone into the back yard. She and Ron set up a couple of tables, one for food and one for people to put all the presents on. Then she hastened back into the kitchen, hurriedly making dinner as she was determined everyone would get fed.

The party was in full swing when Bill and Fleur turned up.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny said a little more forcefully than she should have done. "You don't have a DA coin do you?"

"No but we heard on the radio there was the most awesome party going on here so we thought we'd come see what the fuss was about," Bill said, oblivious to her tone.

"You heard on the radio?" Ron asked, thunderstruck.

If that was true it would surely only be a matter of time before Harry's worst fears were realised and hundreds of well wishers came to crash the party.

"Relax," said Bill, seeing that even George looked panicked. He went inside the house and came back wheeling Mrs Weasley's old radio in front of him. He switched it on to the WWN where a familiar voice seemed to be greeting them.

"So if you've just tuned in, and you're wondering what I've been chatting on about all evening, I'm sorry listeners but that's between me and the members of the DA – who as I've said before should check the _usual communication methods_ for information."

"So that's why so many people 'just happened' to be looking at their coins," Hermione surmised.

"You got there was a party here from that?" George asked Bill, sounding impressed.

"Wait for it," Bill said pointing at the radio.

"So although I can't tell you what's going on listeners, I will say this – Harry mate, have a great party and don't open your presents 'til I get there!" continued Lee Jordan. "This next song is for my friend George, great idea mate, see you when I get off."

"Brilliant," said George and then: "Oh no this songs rubbish. I'm going to get him to change it." He took out his galleon and started to tap it furiously.

Soon everyone was sending in their requests to Lee in a similar way. Harry's party had a great soundtrack and some people even started dancing.

"This is bigger than my seventeenth," Harry remarked.

"Well this one has less chance of Voldemort showing up, so more people decided to come," Ron replied, slapping him on the shoulder. Harry and he had made their apologies earlier. "Do you want to dance?" he asked Hermione.

"So your _not_ with Hermione then?" asked Neville as he and Harry watched the two of them leave.

"No," Harry said for the umpteenth time that evening.

"I didn't think that was right."

"So you're single then?" asked Lavender Brown, and with a nervous glance round Harry realised that there were a lot more people listening to this conversation that he would have liked.

"Of course he is," George cut in before Harry could think of an answer. "He's not daft, he's not going to waste this wonderful opportunity."

"What opportunity?" asked Angelina.

"This is Harry Potter," George said, seizing him by the shoulders and displaying him to the crowd. "This man could have any girl he wants in the whole of Britain, probably Europe and if we're pushing it maybe parts of Australia and America too. Not one of you girls here could resist him."

"Really?" Parvati Patil asked sceptically. "I think I could."

"Look at that scar," George replied. "Just look at it! It practically glistens."

Harry impulsively put his hand to his hair and tried to flatten it down to cover it.

"Don't do that!" said George, batting his hand away. "Embrace it Harry! Embrace it! If I were you I would get inset with diamonds."

"Yes because that's not tacky at all," said Ginny. Harry would have given all the presents that were laid out on the table beside them, for her not to hear this conversation.

"I think you've had enough Fire Whiskey for tonight George," Bill said, trying to intervene.

"Nonsense. Harry! You defeated Voldemort!" He was definitely very drunk.

"Yes but I didn't really do it so I could chat up girls," Harry said honestly.

"Pfft!" George dismissed him. "But it works! It works! Go forth and conquer, young Potter!" And he gave Harry a tremendous slap on the back, inadvertently knocking him straight into Ginny. "Oi! Not that one," George laughed. "That one's my sister!"

Harry did his best to laugh it off and strode immediately from the scene. Finding a rather quieter corner of the yard beside Dennis Creevey.

"Hiya Harry," he said brightly.

"Hi Dennis. Are you having a good time?"

"Oh yes," said Dennis enthusiastically. "Thank you for inviting me."

Harry felt that it would be rude to point out that he hadn't really, and Dennis looked as though he couldn't believe his luck to be there, so he said 'You're welcome' instead.

"I've brought you something Harry," Dennis said quickly, as if he thought he might not get another chance to talk to him. "I didn't want to leave it on the table because I wanted to give them to you personally."

He handed Harry a thick brown envelope, which when he opened it, Harry could see contained hundreds of moving photographs.

"These are - "

"Colin's," Dennis finished for him. "He would have wanted you to have them."

"I can't take these," Harry said. "You should hold on to them."

"Oh I have plenty at home," Dennis reassured him. "These are only some I thought you would like. Look."

He pulled out one from the front of the pile and shoved it under Harry's nose.

"Oh my – Hey Katie! Come and have a look at this." He beckoned Katie Bell over who happened to be dancing near to where they were standing. "Do you remember this?" he asked, showing her the photograph.

"That was the match against Slytherin wasn't it?" she asked. "The one with that rogue bludger?"

"Dobby's bludger yeah," Harry replied. "These are brilliant," he said looking through a couple more. "Thanks Dennis."

Soon another small crowd had formed around Harry, people passing the photographs from one to the other. There was at least ten of each quidditch match Harry had ever played in, photos of the Triwizard Tournament, Harry with no bones in his arm, the Weasley twins testing Skiving Snackboxes in the common room, Ginny in Charms, people getting ready for the Yule Ball, parties in the Gryffindor common room, the night they all had to sleep in the Great Hall, trips to Hogsmeade and many, many more. There were even some of the 'Support Potter' party Hagrid had thrown the previous year.

"Who took these?" Padma Patil asked.

"Colin Creevey," Harry replied.

"The boy who always had the camera?" inquired Ernie Macmillan.

"Funnily enough, yes."

"Aren't they nice?" Mrs Weasley remarked, having come out from the kitchen to see why they had all gone so quiet. "Ooo when was this taken? That's a lovely one of you Ginny."

Harry peered to see which one she meant and saw, with a slight jolt, that it was one of the both of them. Harry was sitting in a chair beside the fire in the common room, dozing, whilst Ginny sat at his feet doing her homework. Every so often she would doodle mischievously on his trouser leg, until he woke up again and laughed. Mrs Weasley was right, Harry thought, Ginny did look very beautiful in it.

"When was this taken?" Mrs Weasley asked again. She seemed very surprised to see a photo of just the two of them.

"I don't know," Harry lied. He knew exactly when it had been taken, and they had been dating at the time. "Must have been before Dumbledore died."

"Look!" Hermione exclaimed, showing Mrs Weasley her photo. "It's one of Harry with Lockhart."

Harry smirked as he noticed Ginny discretely pocket the other picture whilst Mrs Weasley was distracted. Harry had barely spoken to her all evening but as he heard whispers about the current state of his love life even now, he knew they had made the right decision to keep quiet for the time being. Harry had had this sort of attention before, remember back to the articles Rita Skeeter had written about Hermione and him during the Triwizard Tournament – which had been referenced in that morning's article. And Ginny had proven herself quite capable of dealing with schoolyard gossip the first time they had dated but this would be another level of invasion of privacy, and she was fragile at the moment. Ron had already spoken to both Harry and Hermione about it, asking what he could do. Ginny visited Fred's grave every single day sometimes not returning to the house for hours, but refused to talk about it to anyone.

"What's all this?" came a bemused voice from the other side of the yard. Harry looked up to see Mr Weasley looking curiously at them all.

"It's Harry's birthday!" shouted George.

"Oh how nice," said Mr Weasley blankly. "Ron, Hermione, Harry can I talk to you inside?"

"Oh you're in trouble now!" shouted George again.

"Why are we in trouble?" Ron said angrily. "It was you that invited everyone. Listen Dad, it was him - "

"Inside Ron, please," said Mr Weasley and they followed him to the kitchen.

"What is it?" Ron asked once inside, noting Mr Weasley's serious look.

"They've found your parents," Mr Weasley said to Hermione. "We just got word this evening."

Hermione gasped and brought both hands up to her face.

"So they're alright?" Ron said quickly. "They're still alive?"

"Yes they're fine, but they still think they're Wendell and Monica Wilkins. The Ministry in Australia wanted Hermione to be there before they brought them round. They think it might make the process a bit easier for them."

"They want me to go to Australia?" Hermione said. "When?"

"As soon as possible," Mr Weasley replied kindly.

"Well then you can go tonight!" Ron said. "I'll come with you to Harry's to get your stuff and then you can just… go."

"Is that… is that alright?" Hermione asked Mr Weasley.

"That's fine. The arrangements are all in place."

"Great!" said Ron. "Hold on I'll just go get my coat." He ran up the stairs presumably to his room.

Ron must have misplaced his coat because didn't come back down again. It only took Harry one look at Hermione's startled and terrified face to know exactly what he had to do.

"Bathroom," he said, and flew up the stairs after Ron.

He opened Ron's door after finally reaching the top of the house.

"You have to go with her," he said immediately.

"I am. I'm going with her to yours, that's why I was getting my coat."

"No I mean to Australia," Harry explained. "You have to go too."

"I can't. I have work and besides I can't leave Mum and George now. You've seen him tonight, it's like he has to be loud enough to make up for both him and Fred."

"Exactly and you need a break from it," Harry pressed on. "Work can wait too. I'll sort it when I go in tomorrow. Come on, she can't go on her own, she's scared stiff."

Ron stared around his room for a long time, contemplating it. Finally he started to pile clothes into an old rucksack.

"Are you coming too?"

"No I think this is one adventure you can do without me. And besides, someone's going to have to try and sober up George in the morning."

"Yeah," Ron laughed. "Listen Harry – I don't think I really have to say this – but will you… will you keep an eye on Ginny as well? Maybe try to talk to her again?."

"Yes of course."

"Thanks," Ron said, looking like a load had just been lifted from him. "That would really help. So," he said standing up, and throwing the rucksack over his shoulder. "I'm going to Australia."

When they joined Hermione in the kitchen a few moments later it was clear that she had barely moved since they'd left. She seemed completely oblivious to the noise of the party that was in full swing again, just outside.

"What's that?" she said blankly, looking at Ron's rucksack.

"Well I wasn't about to let you go halfway around the world by yourself was I?" he said with a furtive look at Harry. "What sort of a boyfriend do you take me for?"

"Oh Ron!" she said, running to hug him.

"You'll have a great time," Harry said, sidestepping the pair of them.

"You're not coming?"

"No," he replied, and couldn't help feel glad that Hermione looked a little disappointed. "But bring me back one of those hats? You know the ones with the corks?"

"What's all this?" Mr Weasley asked, entering from the yard with a plate of food.

"I'm going to Australia," Ron replied.

"Good, good," he said with a shrewd smile. "Tell your mother though first, won't you?"

Everyone gathered outside to say goodbye and wish them luck – George did this by yelling "G'day" and "Bonzer" every few seconds whilst Mrs Weasley gave them several hugs each. As the others moved away from them finally, to give them some time with Harry on their own he recalled something he should have done much earlier in the day.

"Presents!" he said suddenly.

"Yes you've got lots of them," Ron concurred.

"No not those. _Your_ presents. I got you gifts."

"You got us gifts for your birthday?" Ron called after him, as he sprinted into the kitchen and fetched his rucksack.

"This is for you," he said to Ron when he returned. He struggled for a moment and then pulled out a large cage containing a Masked owl. "I thought it would come in handy when you're helping run the shop from the Ministry."

"Whoa," said Ron taking the cage. "I've never seen one of these before."

"It's from Australia. It's the only one Eelop's ever had."

"Ginny," called Ron. "I've giving you Pig for you're birthday!"

"And this," said Harry, fishing through the bag again. "Is for you."

He handed Hermione a small black box. She gasped when she opened it and looked at him uncertainly.

"That looks like – but it can't be - "

"It's not," Harry assured her. It was a gold locket that looked very much like the one they had spent the last year trying to destroy. "It does this, see?" He opened it for her and placed one of the photos Dennis had given him earlier in it. It showed a young Hermione doing her homework in the Gryffindor common room, whilst Ron and Harry played wizard chess nearby. "The photos stay the same size even though the locket is smaller, and it will hold as many different ones as you want. You can just flip through them all."

"Why though?"

"I wanted to say thank you," said Harry inconsequentially.

"Why a locket?" she tried again.

Harry hesitated.

"I didn't want you to forget," he said finally, a lump forming in his throat.

"Forget what?" Ron laughed. "You?"

He had inadvertently hit the nail on the head and Harry could see that Hermione knew it.

"Harry we're not going to forget you just because…" She stopped and looked at Ron who was still laughing. "Just because we're together."

"What? No of course we're not mate. Nothing's going to change. We're still going to fight and put you in middle all the time."

"Australia should be fun then," said Harry.

"Believe me, when we get back you'll be seeing a lot of us," said Hermione. "Although maybe at separate times." She playfully punched Ron on the arm. "Shall we go?"

"We're off," Ron announced to the party at large.

"Can I get a photo before you go?" asked Dennis tentatively.

The three of them posed, whilst Mrs Weasley looked on sobbing uncontrollably.

"Dennis could you take another one for me?" asked Harry. He pulled Neville and Luna out of the crowd and they arranged themselves with Ron and Hermione. Then he found Ginny, and using the excuse that she really didn't want her photo taken he pulled her by the hand back to the others, and stood her beside him.

"This all looks very formal," he noted, and he gestured for them to all linked arms.

"Say 'Cheese'," called Dennis.

"No," said Harry. "Say _Voldemort_!"

"Voldemort!!"


	4. I’m Kissing You

Hey first of all thank you to all of my lovely reviewers! BurningIce22! It's nice to see a familiar face still on the site since it has been sooooo long since I last posted here. Also thank you to lovesreading2 who has reviewed all the chapters so far - love people who do that! So so far its all good but I would like it if I could get more feedback please from people reading it (I know you are cause I can see the hits going up :) ) particularly if you don't like it! That would be great thanks. All constructive critism welcome and even flames as they make me laugh!

Anyway this could be the last update in a wee while - You have to admit I have been particularly amazing about updating so far! - as uni again tomorrow, but stay tuned for the next chapter! It should be good as the girls are going back to Hogwarts! Yeay! Before then here is another one of those 'Boo hoo everyone's dead - but look there's still time for a joke and a little bit of sexual innuendo!' chapters that I do so particularly enjoy.

So Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4 : I'm Kissing You**

When Harry woke the following morning it took him a moment to remember where he was. Too used to waking up in dark and sombre Grimmauld Place, Ron's room was so bright by comparison, he was sure that its image would be etched on his corneas forever. Wearily, he dragged himself out of bed, his head beating a tattoo upon his forehead, berating him for his activities the night before. The party had gone on until the small hours of the morning, and not really feeling in the mood after Ron and Hermione had left, Harry had perhaps drunk more butterbeer and wine than he should have done. He swung his feet out of the bed and placed them on the floor.

"Uff! Morning Harry."

He had just stood on Lee Jordan. Looking round he could see another few bodies scattered on the floor. Alicia Spinnet and Hannah Abbott were both still sleeping on a pile of Ron's clothes, whilst Ernie Macmillan lay comatose beside them.

"Sorry Lee."

"Don't worry about it. Some party eh?" And he rolled over and went back to sleep. Harry wished he could have done the same but he had a meeting with Kingsley this morning and if he didn't get a move on he'd be late.

After changing into his clothes, that Mrs Weasley had somehow found the time to freshly launder, he loped down to the kitchen hoping that she would still have enough food in the house to make him breakfast. As he passed the different bedroom doors it became evident Ron's room wasn't the only one with a few too many in it. However Ginny's open door revealed only Luna fast asleep in Ginny's bed.

With so many people in the house Harry was a little surprised to find the kitchen empty. He decided to sit down and wait for Mrs Weasley to arrive, and hopefully, make him sausages.

"You're up early," said Ginny, coming in from the yard.

"I have a meeting. What's your excuse?"

"Nothing I just fancied a walk, plus I wanted to give the new broom a go."

"How was it?"

"Ridiculously good. Hungry?" she asked, starting to rummage about in a cupboard.

"Can you make sausages?"

"Is my mother Molly Weasley?" She put the sausages on the pan and soon the whole room was filled with the smell of burning fat. "So who are you meeting?"

"Kingsley. I have things I want sorted."

"With work?"

"No – Snape actually."

"Snape?! Oh! Stupid thing!" Ginny sucked her hand were the fat from the pan had burned it.

"Let me see it." Harry healed it almost instantly with his wand and held on to it.

"I saw you talking to Cho Chang last night," said Ginny.

"She asked me to dance."

"Michael wouldn't have liked that," Ginny smirked.

"They broke up," said Harry. "She told me that too."

"So George was right," Ginny said with her eyebrow raised. "You can have any girl in Britain."

"Yes so watch your back," joked Harry, but Ginny didn't laugh.

He dropped her hand immediately as Mrs Weasley came tiptoeing in.

"There's a girl asleep on my settee," she whispered

"It's Angelina, Mum," said Ginny. "She was on the Gryffindor quidditch team."

'Oh' mouthed Mrs Weasley. "I'll just go and throw a blanket over her."

"Does she realise that most of the DA is asleep upstairs?" asked Harry.

"No, so you better leave now while she still thinks it's a novelty," Ginny said, placing a plate of sausages in front of him.

"You're right," said Harry, glancing at his watch. "What are you doing today?"

"I might catch up with Michael Corner. I think he's in Percy's room."

"Oh ha ha. Do you want to meet me for lunch?"

Ginny nodded, helping herself to some breakfast.

"Is that wise though? What if we're seen?"

"Just meet me in the Atrium of the Ministry at one, alright? It'll be fine."

"Ok, see you later then."

They risked a quick kiss before Harry strolled out into the yard and apparated.

--

Harry had never been to Level One in the Ministry before nor had he actually been to the Minister of Magic's office. He checked in with the witch who sat at a desk at the head of a large room with many doors coming off it, presuming that these must all lead to the offices of other witches and wizards who where high up in the Ministry.

He sat down on one of the benches that had been placed in a waiting area, and looked around to see which one of the doors was Kingsley's. The witch at the desk was staring avidly at him but she quickly looked away when he caught her eye. Harry smiled to himself and was momentarily distracted when a young witch sat down on the bench opposite him, having just come out of one of the offices. She smiled pleasantly at him and he smiled back.

Her shortly cropped blonde layers fell into her face as she searched through a briefcase on her lap, and Harry found himself admitting that she was quite attractive. She could only be at the most a few years older than Harry but he didn't recognise her at all. Maybe she hadn't gone to Hogwarts? Harry was just pondering the idea she might be from Beauxbatons when she pulled out a piece of parchment from her case. Unfortunately it was stuffed full and a few others were released as well and scattered all over the floor.

"Oh man!"

Harry got up and helped her gather them all together again.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" she gushed in an unusual brogue. "This is all just such a nightmare! There's far too much paperwork, don't you think?"

"Uh yes?"

"But wait a minute you've got a British accent," she said, getting back into her seat.

"I have an English accent," Harry politely corrected her.

"So you're not immigrating?"

"No, why are you?"

"Can't you tell? The briefcase? The paperwork? The American accent? What are you doing here if you're not immigrating? Are you emigrating?"

"No," Harry laughed nervously. She asked a lot of questions. "I'm here to see Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"That's the new Minister for Magic isn't it? I saw his name on the exam paper. Haven't met him yet though. Probably won't. I wouldn't need to see the actual Minister for Magic as well would I? Do you think? I've had so many interviews already!"

"Em no?" Harry didn't really understand what the question was but she seemed satisfied with his answer. "Did you have to take an exam before they would let you live here?"

"Oh no," she answered. "That was to get a job here, at the Ministry. I figured they'd probably be able to find me something to do what with all the department shake ups. It's really all go here at the moment isn't it? Did you hear about what happened?" Of course you did, you live here!" she continued without pausing. "That's why I decided to come. Sounded like it would be interesting to be part of a country trying to get back on its feet, and its awesome here! Everyone's so…"

"Busy?"

"I was going to say 'quaint', but that too," she grinned, flashing perfectly straight and very, very white teeth at him. "So what's your name then? You have gorgeous eyes, you know? Do you want some candy?"

She leant forward to offer him some, holding the bag just in front of the opening of her blouse, drawing his eyes to it. Harry wasn't entirely sure the gesture was that innocent so he declined. Was this girl to be trusted? Did she really not know who he was? It seemed almost impossible that she wouldn't have seen the papers and he had been on the front page nearly every day for the past two months, but maybe she hadn't been in the country that long?

He casually brushed his hand through his hair revealing his scar, but she didn't react at all. Maybe she was being genuine? Harry had to stop thinking all strangers were potential Death Eaters.

"Are you thinking of a good one?"

"What?"

"Your name, sweetie your name," she trilled.

"Oh it's - "

"Harry Potter?" the witch at the desk called out. "The Minister will see you now. It's the door on the left."

"Bye then 'Harry Potter'," the girl said smoothly as Harry got up. Then her face fell and she started to hunt furiously in her briefcase again.

"Bye," said Harry and he saw her pull out a copy of the day's paper just before he entered Kingsley's office.

--

Harry left over an hour and a half later. He had discussed the process of clearing Snape's name, pardoning the Malfoys and been shown a selection of cards and gifts that had been sent to the Ministry the day before to honour his birthday. The one he had currently residing in his pocket was in an envelope that read:

**Mr Harry J Potter**

**C/o**** The Magic Ministry **

**London**

The only thing that made it stand out from the rest was the stamp on it. It was from Dudley. There was no gift but a letter with it that told him all about the Dursley's year spent with in the company of wizards – which Dudley seemed to have rather enjoyed – and informing him that they had all now settled back into Privet Drive should he need to contact them. It was a bit brisk and written in terrible grammar but Harry appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

He was making his way to the lifts when he was hit with a tremendous thump by a rolled up newspaper.

"You didn't tell me you were Harry Potter!" yelped the girl he had been speaking to before. Standing up she was slightly taller than him, but that could have been due to the obscenely high heels she was wearing.

"No, but she did," he replied, pointing to the witch on the desk, who again looked quickly away from them both. "Are you still waiting for your interview?"

"No, no, I was waiting for you. I wanted to apologise for not recognising you. You're in all the papers over here, and there I am just asking you your name like a dork!"

"Honestly, it's okay. It made a nice change."

"Oh neat! I was hoping you'd see it like that. Anyway I just thought I'd better make sure and introduce myself."

She was gazing avidly at him now, and Harry could see her trying her best not to look at the scar. The Daily Prophet was still rolled up in her hand.

"You still haven't," he said.

"I'm Reggie," she said quickly, offering him a perfectly manicured hand.

"Reggie?"

"It's Regina actually, but I thought 'Hey! New country, new name!' It's more British, don't you think?"

"I suppose," said Harry as the lift doors opened in front of them. "Are you going down?"

"So these pictures of you are pretty old, aren't they?" Reggie asked stepping into the lift with him. Harry pressed the button for the Atrium and glanced at the paper she was holding. Harry had been so careful about being caught by the press that there had been very few new photographs taken of him, so the Daily Prophet had resorted to reusing the ones taken during the Triwizard Tournament.

"Those were taken a few years ago," said Harry, staring at his fourteen year old self.

"I thought so. You look different now, like, your hair is longer. I prefer it like that."

'So does my girlfriend,' thought Harry. 'That's why I kept it like this.'

"Thanks," he said as the doors pinged open again. The Atrium was a lot busier than it had been that morning but his seeker's eye was already picking out rogue photographers trying to blend in with the crowd. They'd obviously been tipped off he was in the building.

"Aren't you getting out?" asked Reggie.

"Probably not a good idea."

"O-K," she said, looking at him strangely. "I'll see you around Harry!"

That had done it. At the sound of his name there was a cry from outside the lift and flashes starting going off from all directions. Harry pulled Reggie back in and furiously pushed the button for the next floor up.

"That's kinda forward, don't you think?"

"Look do yourself a favour and get into another lift," said Harry as courteously as he could when they reached the next floor. "You do not want to be photographed with me, trust me."

"Why? Are you a bit of a lothario?"

"I don't know," Harry said as she got out. "But I'm sure the Prophet will tell me tomorrow."

He braced himself as the lift sped back down towards the Atrium again and sure enough when the doors opened he was left facing a small crowd vying with each other for position. He stepped confidently out and quickly swept past them, cameras flashing all around him. What Harry found most strange was that none of them were trying to ask him questions about what he was doing, or even talk to him at all. They just continued talking pictures.

He was just wondering what the best escape route was when he noticed Ginny and Luna step out of a fireplace not fifty yards from him. Their attention was immediately drawn to the commotion surrounding Harry, and Ginny's mouth dropped slightly went she saw him. She grabbed Luna by the hand and walked briskly towards the visitor's entrance at the other end of the hall. Catching her drift, Harry followed them, keeping his distance. He was questioning whether anyone would have the gumption to try and climb in the telephone box with them, when a Ministry worker stepped out in front of the crowd following him.

"Alright that's enough," she called out so everyone could hear. "You've got enough pictures to go with every silly story your going to write for the next year so leave the man alone! Hasn't he done enough for us already?

"I said that's enough!" she shrieked, as the crowd disregarded her and tried to push her out of the way. Two security wizards jumped to her aid and in the commotion that ensued Harry was able to jump into the telephone booth with Ginny and Luna relatively unnoticed.

"I thought you said it would be fine?" Ginny challenged him when they had reached the Muggle street above.

"It was," Harry bluffed. "At least they didn't see you two," he added as Luna wandered off to look at a street sign.

"I hope you don't mind," Ginny said quietly. "I thought it would look less inconspicuous if there was three of us."

"I don't mind at all," Harry assured her.

"I suppose you want me to go now so you can be alone?" Luna said, not having heard either of them.

"We're just friends, Luna," said Harry.

"Oh did you break up?"

"No we - There's just no point is there?" he asked Ginny. "Did you tell her?"

"Didn't have to."

Harry laughed as he took each girl's hand and led them both into Muggle London, where he treated them to lunch.

--

"What are you looking so chirpy about Mum?"

"Oh nothing," Mrs Weasley replied to her eldest son, and she continued tidying up the kitchen, humming to herself.

"How's work Perce?"

"Oh it's calmed down a good bit now. Kingsley seems to have got everyone in the right department. The new Aurors started though so that caused a bit of a fuss – they're training them differently this year you see. They have to learn on the job much more than previous years because there's so few fully trained Aurors left. There's a lot more of them than usual as well. Kingsley doesn't think they'll all stay though."

"Really?" said Bill. "Ron's not in danger is he? He's already missed the first few weeks."

"Ron will be fine," Mrs Weasley said confidently. "Harry's been making him notes so he can catch up and an owl arrived this morning to say they would be back on Friday."

"Mr and Mrs Granger were fine then?"

"Yes they're all better. Ron says they'd like to meet us all when they get back," she said gleefully.

"Meeting the parents. That's a big step," Bill said sagely. "Going a bit fast aren't they?"

"It took them seven years to get together, it's about time they went fast," said Percy.

The two men laughed as Mrs Weasley crept to the closed living room door yet again and lurked there for a moment.

"Mum what are you doing? Are you trying to listen in on them?" Bill said exasperatedly.

"Well don't you think its strange?" she said when she was out of earshot of the door. "Harry spending so much time with Ginny?"

"No," said Bill. "They're friends, and with Hermione and Ron away who else are they going to spend time with?"

"I suppose but they just spend so much time together on their own, holed up in the living room or out in the paddock – and that _broom_ he bought her!"

"He bought us all gifts Mum," Bill pointed out, shaking his head slightly. "And that was partly her birthday present as well, they explained all this."

"The broom should come in handy now she's been named quidditch captain," said Percy. "I would have thought she would have got Head Girl though."

"Personally I can't think of a better Head Girl than Luna Lovegood," said Bill. "Just what the school needs to get it back normal."

"Normal? Luna Lovegood?"

Bill gave Percy a stern look.

"Mum will you please get away from that door!"

"I want to know what they're talking about."

"If you must know he's trying to get her to talk about Fred," said Bill. "He told me the other day that he was worried about her. She hasn't been sleeping you know."

"I know," said Mrs Weasley, glancing up to the family clock where Fred's arm was now pointing at 'lost'. "She always did miss you boys so much when you went off to school."

"I still can't believe she's seventeen," said Percy. "When did she get so grown up?"

"When you weren't watching," said Bill.

The door swung open, causing Mrs Weasley to jump and scurry to the stove whilst Ginny came bounding into the room.

"I didn't know you were here," she said swinging her arms around Bill's neck and hugging him from behind where he sat at the table.

"Fleur's gone shopping," he explained.

"Afternoon Percy," she said. Ginny was the one family member finding it the hardest to welcome Percy back into the fold, but she was warming to him – gradually.

"Mu-um," she said in a singsong voice.

"What do you want?" said Mrs Weasley briskly. "I'm very busy." And she clattered a few pots and pans together for effect, which also helped to cover Bill's derisive snort.

"Can I go and stay at Harry's tonight?"

"What? Just the two of you?" said Mrs Weasley warily.

"No. Teddy will be there too," said Ginny.

"Teddy? Teddy Lupin?"

"Yes. It's the first time Harry's had him to stay the whole night and he wanted me to come and help out. I think he's a bit nervous about it."

"Well why doesn't he bring him here then? We can all help out."

"Mum," said Ginny. "The whole point is for Harry to look after the baby. Not for you to look after the baby."

"Well…"

"Pleeease Mum!" said Ginny, jumping on a moment of weakness. "It's only for one night and I think Harry's really missing having Hermione at home with him. It can't be nice having to sleep in that big old house every night by yourself."

"He's got Kreacher."

"Oh great," said Ginny, rolling her eyes. "Bill thinks you should let me, don't you Bill?"

"Yes I do," Bill said firmly. "It's not like he hasn't got enough room to put her up Mum," he added pointedly

"Well alright," said Mrs Weasley. "But just be careful."

"Of what?" said Ginny swiftly.

"Just… Just be careful," Mrs Weasley repeated.

"Honestly Mum, you let Ron go off with Harry to fight Voldemort last year and you're still worried about me going with him to baby sit a four month old?"

"I didn't _let_ Ron do that, and anyway that was different, Ron was of age."

"And so am I," said Ginny forcefully. "I'm going to get changed, Harry's gone out to the paddock and we're going to play a bit of Quidditch. Do you want to come?" she asked her brothers.

"No, sorry, Fleur should be back soon."

"I've got work to do."

"Ok then," she said cheerily and dashed up the stairs to her room.

"See Mum," said Bill. "There's nothing going on."

Mrs Weasley looked once again at the family clock on the wall, and thought that he was probably right.

--

Harry Potter loved his invisibility cloak. Not only did allow him to creep around Hogwarts undetected when he was still at school, or save Ron, Hermione and him from being discovered by the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade last year, but it also allowed him to currently be lying on his girlfriend's bed in her room whilst her family thought he was in the paddock outside.

"I'm really going to have to get changed soon though. They're going to notice if I don't come back down again. They'll think I've left you by yourself outside."

"Five – more – minutes," said Harry kissing her after each word.

"Come on, we can do this all night now," said Ginny before giving a cry of mirth.

"We won't – the baby – is a bit of – a handful."

"Well ok then," Ginny sighed as Harry kissed her neck. She was in such a good mood after Mrs Weasley agreed to let her stay at Grimmauld place that night, that it seemed foolish to Harry for him _not_ to try and push his luck. He was slowly easing his fingers through the spaces between the buttons on her shirt when there was a loud knock on her bedroom door.

"Hold on a minute!" Ginny called.

"It's me," said Bill.

"One minute! I'm getting changed!"

'Hide,' she mouthed to Harry, who promptly threw the invisibility cloak over himself and squeezed under her desk.

"Come in."

"Hey. Fleur's back so we're about to - I thought you were getting changed?"

"I am – was – I was in the middle of getting changed and then you knocked so I put my shirt… back… on."

"Ok," said Bill, apparently believing her. "You owe me big time, you know. I just spent the afternoon trying to convince Mum there's nothing going on between you and Harry."

"There isn't."

"Don't lie to me Gin. I taught you how to do that, remember?"

"I'm not lying. There's nothing going on."

"I can see why you're doing it," Bill continued as if she hadn't spoken. "The whole country seems to be gripped by Potter mania. Wasn't he meant to be involved with some mystery blonde just last week?"

"I don't know. I've stopped reading the paper."

"Look Harry is a really good guy," he said offhandedly. "If you're going out with him that's great and if you don't want to tell anyone yet then that's fine, but do me a favour as your big brother?"

"What?" said Ginny huffily.

"Be careful tonight."

"Why does everyone keep saying that? It's not as though I'm going to be jumped by a Death Eater is it?"

"Not by a Death Eater no."

"_Bill_!" said Ginny, sounding horrified.

"I used to be an eighteen year old boy, that's all I'm saying."

"Bill please just go. Go now!"

"Ok, but just remind him that if he tries anything – Voldemort will seem like a warm up act for your brothers."

"Out!" Ginny screamed pushing him out of the room. She slammed the door shut and slid down it. "Oh my God. Every time a dementor comes near me now that's all I'm going to hear.

"Harry?" she said when she received no response. "You… you haven't killed yourself have you?"

"I was hoping if I stayed silent, you might forget I was here," said her desk. "Or that I ever existed at all."

"I need a hug."

"I don't think I can touch you."

"Please!" said Ginny, close to tears.

"He's not right," said Harry taking off the invisibility cloak. "I didn't ask you to stay over so we could - "

"I know," said Ginny abruptly. She was embarrassed enough without him finishing the rest of that sentence.

"I fully expected you to sleep in Hermione's room," said Harry, determined to get his point across. "I don't expect to… I don't want to… well I do _want _to… What I mean is…"

"I know, Harry! Please just talk about something else."

But there were no words, except Bill's, which hung between the two of them like a thick black cloud. Each was rendered completely unable to speak so each was left wondering just what exactly the other was thinking.

--

Luckily when it reached the time for them to leave the Burrow and go and fetch Teddy they had found the courage to look at each other again. Privately Harry thought he might even have enough nerve to hold her hand again by next Tuesday.

They spent a great night entertaining and playing with Teddy, who just as Harry had predicted was a bit of a handful for them, but he hoped this was just because he wasn't used to it yet and it would get easier with time. True to his word, when Teddy started to get restless and Ginny suggested they put him to bed, Harry took Teddy up the stairs to his room _alone_ after Ginny had given them both a kiss goodnight.

Although she had felt sleepy when the boys had left her, it wasn't long before Ginny found herself lying wide awake in the bed Kreacher had freshly made for her. Though she would never tell Harry, she hated this house. She had hated it from the first moment she had set foot in it three years ago, and even though Harry had worked hard at making it slightly more welcoming than it had been then, in her eyes it was a still a dank, miserable place to be. Light just didn't seem to penetrate it, so it appeared to be in constant darkness even when it was daylight. Ginny didn't know whether this was because of the Fidelius charm, or some other enchantment that Sirius' father had put on the house, or whether she was just imagining it.

She lay for hours, tossing and turning, and trying to get comfortable but to no avail. Soon she became covered head to foot in goose pimples as her body cried for the sleep her head just wouldn't allow. It was just far too busy to shut itself off now, now that she was completely alone with her thoughts with nothing to distract her. She couldn't really blame the house for this though as it happened every night, even though every day Ginny would get up early and go for long walks and play long games of quidditch to try and tire herself out.

Grief is a strange thing to deal with, and something that Ginny had never really had to before. Sirius dying had been difficult, and Dumbledore had been a blow to them all, but neither could come close to the loss of her brother, or Tonks. Sometimes, when Harry had tried to talk to her about it, she had almost been on the brink of telling him the truth. Harry had been through this before, she knew that, and it made perfect sense that he would help her with what she was going through, but would he still be as understanding if he knew her secret? Being with Harry was one of the only times when she could forget everything and she just wasn't prepared to risk it.

She turned over in bed yet again and glanced at her new watch which was lying on the bedside cabinet. It was nearly midnight. She closed her eyes, hoped that the rest might be enough to get her through the next day and started to count hippogriffs. Her efforts were in vain, however, as soon a persistent tapping noise filled the room and she could concentrate on nothing else. She wasn't too worried about it, putting it down to the creaks of an old house, until it was interspersed with three loud bangs.

She sat bolt upright in her bed.

"Kreacher?" she said tentatively, hoping that this might be part of one of the elf's strange cleaning rituals.

There was another loud crack and Kreacher stood at the end of her bed.

"You called Miss," he said blearily.

"Oh no, I didn't mean to wake you up. I just thought – can you hear that noise Kreacher?"

"Yes Miss," replied Kreacher unconcernedly. "Would you like Kreacher to make it stop?"

"You know what's causing it then?"

"Yes Miss. It is Master Harry."

"Harry? What's he doing at this time of the night? Cleaning?"

"No Miss. He is dreaming. Master has some terrible dreams. Would you like Kreacher to fix it Miss? The muggle born always told Kreacher to leave him but if you want Kreacher could tie him to the bed to stop the thrashing?"

"No!" said Ginny quickly. "Its fine Kreacher I'll see to it. Just – just go back to bed please."

"Very well Miss," he said, and with another crack he was gone.

Ginny lit her wand and slowly crept out and up to the topmost landing to Harry's room. The tapping got louder with every step she took. She paused just outside his door and braced herself for whatever sight lay beyond. Taking a deep breath she opened it.

The room was in complete darkness and it took a moment for her to locate Harry with her wand light. He was lying in the middle of a large four poster bed and, just as Kreacher had said, was turning rapidly from side to side whilst muttering something Ginny couldn't quite make out.

Teddy's crib caught her eye as she made her way to Harry. Placed just beside the bed the vibrations of Harry tossing were causing it to rock slightly and make the tapping noise. Teddy seemed to enjoy the motion however, as he was still fast asleep.

"Remus!" Harry shouted suddenly, and gave a great jerk with his arm, hitting the headboard and causing another loud bang.

Teddy woke and immediately started to cry.

"Shush. Shush," Ginny said soothingly, picking him up and brushing his tiny head.

"Why did you wake him up?" said Harry groggily.

"I didn't. You did," said Ginny, bringing Teddy over and sitting on the bed. "You didn't tell me you still have nightmares."

"I – I didn't realise," said Harry. "Is that what woke him up?"

Ginny nodded.

"What where you doing here anyway?"

"I could hear you from downstairs. What were you dreaming about?"

"I don't remember," Harry said truthfully.

"You said something about Remus."

"Did I?"

Without thinking he lit his wand and traced the familiar photograph of the Marauders which was still on the wall. It felt strange to him that one day this photograph would mean just as much to the baby currently lying in his girlfriend's arms as it did to him. It would be up to him to fill in all the missing gaps and answer all the questions Teddy would have when he was old enough to ask them, and Harry was struck with a terrible foreboding that the little boy just wouldn't be satisfied with the little he actually knew.

"Is that – is that Remus and Sirius?" asked Ginny, her wand light falling on the picture as well.

"And my dad and Wormtail," replied Harry smiling at the look of astonishment on her face.

"Sirius was really good looking when he was younger, wasn't he?" she said, crossing over to the wall to get a closer look. "And – wow Harry – you look just like your dad."

"And he wasn't I suppose?" joked Harry.

"He'll do," Ginny smirked back at him. "Do you have any others?"

"I have a few. Would – would you like to see them?" he asked.

"Oh yes," she said enthusiastically.

She sat back down cross-legged on the bed and rested Teddy on her lap, whilst Harry retrieved the album Hagrid had given him.

"That's my mum and dad on their wedding day. Sirius was best man, see?" He pointed him out.

"That's your mum?"

"Lily, yeah."

"She's got red hair. Like me," said Ginny, blushing slightly.

"I know. That's the only reason I'm going out with you," said Harry, grinning the way he did when he laughed at his own joke that Ginny found annoyingly attractive.

"Oh give over. They were really young when they got married weren't they?" she asked, trying to move the conversation on.

"They were," he admitted. "They were only twenty-one when they died."

"They -" said Ginny, visibly shaken. "They looked really happy though."

"They were," repeated Harry, brushing the wetness out of his eyes. "They were even happy the night that it happened."

"How do you -"

"– I saw it."

Harry had never even told Ron or Hermione what he had seen through Voldemort's eyes the night they had visited Godric's Hollow, but there was something about the way Ginny was looking at him right now that showed him it was time. He told her everything that had happened that night, about the prophecy and why they had gone into hiding, about how Wormtail betrayed them, about how his parent's had both died to protect him, how his mother's sacrifice had saved him and about how Voldemort's soul had been transferred into him when the curse rebounded.

"So that's why – you didn't die," she said when he had finished.

"Yes," replied Harry, thinking she meant when Voldemort had attacked him as a child.

"So why did it look like you had?"

"It didn't – Oh – you mean…"

"At Hogwarts."

They stared at each other for a long time.

"Another night maybe?" she said.

"Yea, sorry… It's just…"

Then Ginny kissed him.

"It's going to be different this time you know," she said breaking away and looking down to Teddy, who was still in her lap. "He's going to have you to tell him all about his parents. He won't have to find it out in different parts like you did."

Harry picked him up and placed him back into his crib. Watching as his hair changed from acid green to luminous orange.

"And what about the part where I have to tell him his parents are dead because of me?"

"Do you really think that?"

"It's the truth isn't it? None of those people would have died if it wasn't for me."

"And neither would the rest of us still be alive… Besides you didn't cause all of those people to die… Not all of them," said Ginny.

Harry turned from Teddy as she suddenly gave a great shuddering noise and burst into tears. It was the first time she had properly cried since the Battle of Hogwarts.

"Gin," said Harry soothingly as he crossed quickly to her and bundled her into his arms. Now it was his turn to listen.

"It's – my – fault – Fred's – dead," she managed to say, sucking in great breaths after each word.

"Gin that's not -"

"It is," she shrieked. "I was the one – with the DA coin – if I hadn't – of persuaded him – to take me Hogwarts – he would never – have been there. And Tonks! I should have stopped her. She was in the Room of Requirement with me – and I should have – sent her home! Now they're both dead – and it's _my entire fault_! I can't sleep anymore – because every time I try – all I can hear is their voices."

"Ginny, I understand but -"

"You don't understand!" she screamed, mingling with Teddy's cries, who had been woken up again. "I'm disgusting! My brother is dead and yet every time I'm with you I can laugh again! Even the night it happened, I was meant to be grieving for him and I couldn't do that properly because I was so glad I didn't have to bury you as well! I -"

But at that moment her breathing became so erratic that she couldn't carry on. Harry lay her down on the bed and lay down beside her, holding her from behind. Teddy's cries stopped again as the room became relatively silent.

"Do you not think I feel exactly the same way?" Harry said to the back of her head, after she had got her breathing under control. "All those people who laid down their lives for me and the last thing I thought about before Voldemort tried to kill me that night was you.

"This is just survivor's guilt," he said gently, stroking her hair. "I knew Fred pretty well Ginny, and believe me even if you hadn't asked him to take you to Hogwarts that night, he would have been there. And Tonks needed to be with Remus. A Hungarian Horntail couldn't have stopped her. You never stood a chance."

"Really?" she said in a small voice.

"I would have done the same for you."

"No I mean did you really think about me just before…"

Harry closed his eyes and breathed in her flowery scent as she clasped her hand over his.

"I thought about you everyday."

"I hoped you would. I did too. I tried not to but it was hard when you were all anyone could talk about in the castle. Neville was great though; he forbade anyone to talk about the fact we used to date in case the Carrows found out and used it against me."

"Very clever. Did he tell everyone you were dating Dean as well then?"

"No, of course not," said Ginny indignantly. "Dean was on the run as well – he told people I was going out with him."

Harry laughed, assuming that she was joking.

"Harry," said Ginny seriously. "Do you think Fred would be alright with me still being happy now? Being here with you?"

"Yes," said Harry, kissing her shoulder. "He might not be so happy with me though," he added and was pleased to hear Ginny laugh again.

"Can I stay here with you tonight?"

"I'd like that."

It wasn't long after Ginny pulled the covers over them that they both fell into the most comfortable sleep they had had in months.

--

When Harry woke the next morning he was pleased to see that Ginny was still asleep. Hopefully now she had finally told someone what was worrying her she would be able to put some demons to rest, although he knew from personal experience it would be a long time before she had completely come to terms with it.

He got up and changed out from his pyjamas. It was only when he was pulling on his jeans that he noticed a pair of bright brown eyes peeking out at him from under his sheets.

"I thought you were asleep," he said, hastening to put on his shirt.

"I was," Ginny grinned mischievously. "But you woke me up when you got out of bed."

"Well good morning."

"It is indeed," she said eyeing him up and down. "Your fly is undone by the way."

"What are you doing today?" he asked, kneeling down beside the bed so they were face to face. "Do you want to sleep on? Or do you want to help me get Teddy ready to go?"

"Where are you taking him?" she yawned.

"I'm taking him in to work with me. Kingsley's going to look after him tonight while Andromeda is still away visiting her friend."

"I'll come with you then," Ginny said, stretching. "I can take the Floo Network back home from the Ministry." And she left to get changed whilst Harry got Teddy up and ready.

--

"Won't people think we're being cruel? Making him wear a hat on a warm day like today?" Ginny inquired as they walked to the nearby tube station. Side-along apparition and travelling by the Floo Network were just too distressing for a baby Teddy's age, and it also gave Ginny a chance to practice for her muggle studies class which she would be taking for her NEWTs.

"They'll think worse if they notice that we've dyed the baby's hair turquoise."

Harry checked again that the woolly hat Teddy had on was still covering it, before entering the busy station. They waited in the rush hour queue for the automated ticket machines, whilst Ginny tried to work out which coins they would need to pay for their fare.

"Is this enough?" she checked with Harry, who was trying to get Teddy to let go of his hair.

"Yes – ow!"

The woman in the queue next to them turned round to coo over him.

"Isn't he sweet? How old is he?"

"Four months," Ginny replied.

"Beautiful. So which one of you does he take after?"

"Oh he's not ours," said Harry quickly, as Ginny's mouth fell open in outrage. "I'm his Godfather."

"You daft mare," said the man standing next to her. "Cool scar mate," he added to Harry, whilst giving him an apologetic look. "How'd you get it? Fight was it?"

"Yeah you should see the other guy," Harry mumbled and was quite relieved when it was their turn to use the machine as Ginny was clearly still livid about the woman's remark.

"Can you believe _her_?" she continued to rage as they travelled down the escalators.

"Well it probably seemed logical. It's not that uncommon for Muggles to have children at our age," Harry tried to reason.

"Oh it's not that, I know that. But do I _look_ like I've just given birth?"

"No," said Harry swiftly, not wanting to get on the wrong side of Ginny's temper.

"And it's not just Muggles who have babies when they're still in school!"

"What?"

"Oh Harry, honestly! There's been loads of people at Hogwarts who've had kids."

"Loads of people?"

"Well not loads – but it happens! There was definitely one girl in Charlie's year. I remember him telling Mum during his sixth year."

Harry was still thinking about this information by the time they reached the now familiar red telephone box. Really, he thought he would rather face Voldemort again that have to tell any father that he had accidentally got their daughter pregnant.

"So how many photographers do you reckon today then?" Ginny asked as Harry opened the booth with one arm, balancing Teddy with the other.

"Shouldn't be too bad."

"I think I've heard that before," she said shrewdly. "I'll wait here for a minute, or else I have a feeling it won't only be that woman who'll be thinking that I've just had your child."

Harry forced himself to laugh before giving her a very brief kiss on the cheek and stepping into the box. Ginny smiled and waved at them both as the red phone box sank into the ground, not having noticed anything strange with his behaviour, but her remarks had left Harry feeling very glad – even more so as he crossed Mr Weasley's path on the way to the lifts – that all they had done the previous night was sleep.


	5. Last Night I Nearly Died

Thank you for the reviews. I'm not sure about this chapter so feedback is, as always, greatly appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter 5 : Last Night I Nearly Died**

"Hermione! Over here!" Ginny called, waving as she crossed the road in front of King's Cross Station with her mother. Hermione waved back as her parents drove on, having just dropped her off.

It was the first time, in all the years that she had been coming here, Ginny could remember being early. Though, that was probably because there was only her to get ready this year, which had eliminated the commotion that the first of September had usually brought to the Weasley household.

"This feels really strange you know," Hermione said, looking worried but grinning at the same time. She was still tanned from her trip to Australia.

"Stranger than last year?" asked Ginny, and Hermione took her point.

"I'm so old though. I'll be nineteen at the end of this month."

"Old?" puffed Mrs Weasley indignantly.

"She means to be going to school Mum," Ginny placated her.

They continued to walk through the station; ignoring the stares the muggles were giving Ginny who was carrying Pigwidgeon in a cage by her side. They casually lent through the barrier at platform 9 ¾ and found Luna waiting just beyond it.

"Hello," she said dreamily. Her new head girl's badge was pinned to her scarf.

"Hi Luna," said Ginny brightly. "Looking forward to going back?"

"Oh yes. It's a bit strange though. The last time I was on the train I was kidnapped."

"How is the house Luna?" said Mrs Weasley quickly.

"It's coming alone nicely, thank you. Shall we get on the train?"

"You don't have to wait Mum," said Ginny. "The train doesn't leave for another half an hour."

"Well alright," she replied reluctantly. "I suppose I really should go and visit George at the shop."

"Ron said it was really coming along well," said Hermione. "Pity they couldn't have got it ready for the reopening before we had to go back to school."

"I know," said Ginny longingly. "It's going to be such a great party."

"Well you lot behave yourself," Mrs Weasley told them, giving each girl a hug and a kiss in turn. "You won't have the boys to blame for leading you astray. And Ginny try not to start any underground rebellions this year."

"I'll try Mum," she said, hugging her again before she finally got on the train.

"Bye!" they called in unison as Mrs Weasley waved, slightly teary eyed and disappeared back through the barrier.

Finding an empty compartment easily as there was barely anyone on the train yet, they stored their trunks away and Hermione let Crookshanks out of his basket.

"So how were your parents about letting you go back to school?" Ginny asked as Crookshanks landed on her lap. She had looked after him the previous year and also when Hermione had been in Australia, so they had grown quite fond of each other. "They'd only really just got you back."

"They were fine about it," chirped Hermione. "They're going to be busy setting up the practice again now anyway, and they don't remember me not being there for the past year so it didn't bother them."

"They weren't tempted to stay in Australia once you'd brought back their memories then?"

"Oh no," said Hermione at once. "Dad said it was very nice but far too hot for his liking. No they much prefer it here."

"That's nice for them," said Luna.

There was a rap at their compartment door and a tall boy with long fair hair looked anxiously in at them all.

"Come in!" shouted Ginny at once. "You came back!" she exclaimed as the boy sat down beside her and waved nervously at Luna.

"Yes," he said, looking around the compartment yet not making eye contact with any of them. "It was so much fun last year I thought it would be good to finish my NEWTs." It was hard to make out the end of the sentence as his speech became more of a whisper with every word he spoke.

"If you thought last year was fun just wait 'til you see Hogwarts when it's not under an oppressive regime. Hermione this is Rolf Scamander." They shook hands. "He only started Hogwarts last year."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Before then I was…"

He stopped, seemingly becoming more interested in a stain on his trousers.

"Before then he was being schooled at home," Ginny finished for him. "Luna recruited him to the DA last year."

"Oh lovely," said Hermione overenthusiastically.

Rolf nodded and then stared at the luggage rack above their heads.

"Did you have a nice summer?" he asked.

"Are you talking to the trunks or to us, Rolf?" said Ginny.

"Did you have a nice summer?" he tried again, looking at the three girls but still careful not to make eye contact.

"Oh lovely," said Hermione, again in unusually bright voice. "I went to Australia."

"I've been there," said Rolf.

"With your granddad?" asked Ginny. "Rolf's granddad is Newt Scamander."

"Oh lovely," said Hermione for the third time.

"Yes and he's in Ravenclaw, is that lovely too?" said Ginny cannily.

Without saying a word to anyone Rolf got up and left.

"See you at the feast Rolf!" called Luna. "Oh. I think you embarrassed him," she said to Hermione.

"I embarrassed him?"

"Don't worry about it," said Ginny as Hermione's mouth continued to flap wordlessly. "He talks more and stays longer the more he gets used to you. It's because you're new that's all."

"I'm not new."

"You're new to him."

Hermione brooded about how much Hogwarts would have changed in the year she hadn't been there, while Ginny and Luna perused the latest edition of the Quibbler – the only publication not concerned with what Harry had had for breakfast that morning. Not that Ginny knew what Harry had had for breakfast either, nor Ron come to think of it. The last time see had seen either of them had been last night when Mrs Weasley had laid on a special 'End of the Summer' dinner and invited Harry and Hermione. Ginny had had to spend the evening making polite small talk with Harry over the table, all the time wishing she could just get a moment alone with him to say goodbye properly. The right time just never arose though, and she had to make do with a friendly hug at the end of the night while her parents and brothers looked on.

Ron had seemed the only one happy with this outcome, and not thinking she could take another moment looking at his smug face when he got to kiss Hermione goodnight properly, Ginny had gone to bed promptly and had a little cry before falling asleep and dreaming about the next time she would see Harry.

"What's going on?" said Hermione irritably, as several of the younger students flew down the corridor outside.

"It's nearly eleven," said Ginny. "They're probably just looking for somewhere to sit."

She smiled to herself as she noticed Hermione fidgeting in her seat. She had given up her prefect duties this year; reasoning that she would be spending so much of her time catching up on her school work there just wouldn't be enough to fit everything in. Ginny thought she knew the real reason though – Hermione just didn't trust herself to be given orders by Luna's head girl. Either way, Hermione simply didn't have the authority anymore to tell the rampaging first years to sit down.

After a while though, Ginny found herself wishing that she did. People continued to run up and down outside and there was a terrible amount of noise being made. All she wanted was to lie back and maybe go to sleep for a little while. She was silently dreading the moment the train would start to move and take her hundreds of miles from the one person she wanted to see most, but she knew once she was off it she would have Hogwarts and organising the new quidditch team to distract her. Daydreaming as she was now though, she thought she could almost hear Harry's voice.

Hermione pulled back the compartment door to glare properly at a group of gaggling third years that had stopped just outside it.

"Oh my – Ginny look!" she exclaimed.

Ginny lent forward in her seat to peer out of the corridor window, but found that her view was blocked by the group of third years.

"What? What are they staring at?" she said casually.

"Look!" said Hermione, grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her out of her seat.

They pushed their way to the window outside their compartment with great difficultly, as everyone in the train seemed to be in the corridor. When they finally reached it Ginny could see clearly what had got Hermione so flustered. Slowly coming towards them, ignoring the pointing fingers and eager looks of parents still on the platform, were Ron and Harry.

"I thought they were meant to be at work?" said Ginny quickly, hoping that this would cover the loud beating sound coming from her chest. "Ron was gone already when I got up this morning!"

"Oh look, they're looking for us," said Luna, joining them, just as Ron gave a tremendous roar of her name. It was true, they were carefully scanning every face in the train as they walked down, but they were still several carriages away and the train would be leaving any second.

"Bang the window," said Ginny, urging the other two to copy her.

"I think someone might have already thought of that," said a burly fifth year boy behind them.

The whole train shook as the carriage Harry and Ron were nearest to gave a deafening roar, and generally used all of their limbs to make as much noise as possible. The two boys gave an appreciative wave and kept searching.

"Here," said the fifth year again, and with one massive paw he swept aside the third years, clearing a path to the train door. They flung it open just as the train started to move.

"Harry!" screamed Ginny, sending three red sparks into the air with her wand. The two boys sprinted to them, and with longer legs Ron got there first.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" said Hermione, hanging out of the door beside Ginny, Luna on her other side.

"Nice – to see – you too," panted Ron, before placing one foot on the train and bringing her into a tremendous embrace. Ginny was just about to congratulate him on his improved technique since Lavender, when Harry caught up.

"Move!" he said forcefully, pulling Ron off the train and taking his place. "Had to say goodbye," he added before giving Hermione and Luna a kiss on the cheek. He saved Ginny for last, again giving a quick kiss like the other two, but adding a very long and very tight one-armed hug. To an onlooker, which included most of the train and everyone on the platform, it would have looked friendly enough, but none of them would ever know what Harry whispered as he pressed his lips close to her ear.

"Harry! Watch!" called Ron just time, as Harry jumped back off the train on to the last piece of platform. Both of the boys waved through the steam until the train turned around the bend and they were lost from sight.

"Well that was unexpected," said Hermione breathlessly.

Luna thanked the fifth year boy as he again bowled the third years sideways, allowing them to get back to their compartment, but Ginny remained completely silent, and aimlessly followed the other two to their seats.

"I like Harry's long hair," said Luna picking up the Quibbler again. "It was like that when Dobby saved us from the Malfoys'."

"He's had it cut since then," said Hermione. "But it's still longer than it was. Do remember the beard he had as well?" she said with mirth. "Did you ever see him with the beard Ginny? Ginny?"

"Are you alright Ginny? Is it a Wrackspurt?" said a concerned sounding Luna.

"Harry just told me he loves me," she blurted out, and then brought her hands up to her mouth like she was going to be sick.

Hermione immediately jumped up and made sure there was no one listening outside in the corridor.

"What?" she whispered as she closed the compartment door tightly. Ginny didn't think she could repeat it if she wanted to. Her mouth seemed to have died.

"When?" Hermione tried again.

"Just there now, when he was on the train," she squeaked.

"When he was hugging you?"

Ginny nodded. Hermione looked impressed.

"I didn't know he was so smooth. What did you say?"

"Nothing. You were there. There wasn't time! Why would he say it when I couldn't say it back?"

"Just to clarify – there is something going on between Harry and you?"

"_Hermione_!"

"I just like to have all the facts. Maybe you misheard him? Maybe he said 'I'll miss you.' There was a lot of noise and I think I heard a couple of those third years shout 'I love you.' Maybe it was one of them you heard?"

"It was definitely Harry," Ginny reiterated. "And he either said 'You look beautiful and I love you.' Or 'You look beautiful You-Know-Who.'"

"Well there you go, maybe he thought you were Voldemort."

Ginny hit her with Luna's Quibbler.

"Harry would never call Voldemort You-Know-Who," said Luna, who was listening to the conversation despite her apparent disinterest.

"Thank you Luna," said Ginny. "So what do I do?"

"What do you mean?" said Hermione.

"Do I write to him? Do I say nothing? What?"

"Well that depends. Do you want to say it back or not?"

"I – I don't know," said Ginny. "Ugh! This is not how I imagined this would be!"

"Oh that's right," laughed Hermione. "There was meant to be a waterfall."

"Why?" asked Luna. "To attract - "

"Not to attract anything Luna," said Hermione. "It was just meant to be the setting. And it would be night time, preferably during the summer, and all the stars would be out, and he would take her in his arms and say - "

"How do you remember this stuff?" said Ginny.

"That's not very romantic," remarked Luna. "I think what he said on the train was probably better than that."

"Because you used to fill my head with all this nonsense when I was revising so it stuck in there," said Hermione to Ginny. "You used to go on and on. And that reminds me – now you have to give up quidditch and chocolate."

"What?"

"You told me that if Harry Potter told you he loved you, you would give up chocolate and never ride a broomstick again."

"I was thirteen!" said Ginny. "And I was making a desperate plea to the universe to get him to notice me!"

"Well the universe thinks you should pay up."

"Is one of you Luna Lovegood?"

The compartment door was pulled roughly back to reveal a slightly irate looking woman standing glaring at them all.

"I'm Luna," sang Luna.

"Are you the new Head Girl?" asked the woman, brushing shortly cropped brown curls behind her ears.

"Yes."

"And is there anywhere you're meant to be right now?"

"Luna," said Hermione suddenly. "The prefects!"

"Oh yes," said Luna unconcernedly, getting up. She turned suddenly at the compartment door, causing the woman who was clucking her tongue at her to jump. "Ginny, true love is saying it when you don't need to hear it back." And with no further explanation she left.

"Who was that?" Hermione asked, as the woman frog marched Luna down the corridor.

"New teacher? There'll be a lot of vacancies this year," said Ginny.

"Luna's right you know," Hermione continued, as Ginny reached to get a piece of parchment out of her trunk. "You don't have to write to him straight away. True love is also knowing you didn't have to say it at all."

"Did you get that out of a book?"

"No."

"Well then you're just saying that because Ron's never said it to you," smirked Ginny, reaching for a quill.

"He has," said Hermione, indignantly.

"Saying 'Hermione, I love you for letting me copy your homework', does not count."

"He didn't say it like that! He said it properly!"

"Really? When?"

"When we were in Australia," said Hermione. "Right before he…"

"Before he what? Asked you to marry him?"

"It's none of your business," said Hermione, picking up the Quibbler Luna had left behind.

"What's none of my business? Before he – _Hermione_ you didn't!"

Hermione ignored her, seemingly engrossed in an article about Stubby Boardman and his role in Voldemort's downfall.

"Hermione," said Ginny, calmly taking the magazine from her. "Did you _sleep_ with Ron?"

"No comment."

"Ugh!" shuddered Ginny. "Ugh! I cannot believe you just ruined the day Harry told me he loved me by telling me you'd _slept_ with my brother!"

"I said no comment," Hermione protested.

"And if you hadn't you would have just said no." She shuddered again and made a retching noise.

"Ginny shush! Stop being horrible! It wasn't like that – what are you doing?" she asked, noticing her scribbling away on the parchment.

"Well I'm definitely writing to Harry now."

"You _dare_," snarled Hermione.

"Fine!" said Ginny, putting her quill down. "So…"

"So…"

"So how did it - No it's too weird! Sorry but it's my brother – anyone else and I would have asked but it's Ron so – Ugh!" she shuddered again.

"Fine. I don't want to hear about Harry and you either."

"Yeah right," snorted Ginny and Hermione gave a yielding smile.

"Have you?" she asked wryly.

"_No_! Harry and I aren't even in the place where we're ready to tell people we're actually dating. We shouldn't even be thinking about… the other thing yet."

"You do though."

"What?"

"Think about it."

"'Mione!" said Ginny incredulously.

"Well he told you he loved you so it must be pretty serious and your mum told me you stayed over at Grimmauld Place when we were away."

"We just slept," said Ginny truthfully. "And I'm not thinking about it."

"He will be," said Hermione, and she casually picked up the Quibbler again and didn't say another word.

--

Hours later and Ginny was enjoying a dream she hadn't had in years, albeit a slightly racier version than she had had when she was thirteen. It was the summer, the stars were out, there was a waterfall and there was Harry. Except this time when he took her in his arms he didn't just tell her he loved her. Unfortunately she was woken up before the really good part.

It was the woman from before, only this time instead of giving disapproving glares to Luna she was screaming into a pillow she had just conjured.

"Hello?" said Ginny blearily. Hermione was just stirring in the seat opposite.

"Sorry," said the woman. "I didn't realise there was anyone in here. It was so… quiet."

"We were asleep," said Hermione.

"Sorry," said the woman again. "It's just… I really hate children."

"Then you're probably on the wrong train," said Ginny.

"Oh I know," she replied with a dry smile. "But I had something to do in London and this was the quickest way of getting back to Hogwarts. Can I stay?" she asked, sitting down beside Ginny. "Yours is the only compartment not completely over run by gibbons disguised as students."

--

"Every time this man speaks my brain ceases to function."

"I know what you mean," said Harry.

He was trying to listen to an old wizard at the front of the room lecture them on the importance of concealment and disguise, but kept drifting in and out, his mind more occupied with a scarlet steam train that he supposed would be nearing Hogwarts now. Reggie, the girl he had met in the ministry, had been successful in obtaining a job there, in the Auror department no less, and was currently lying with her head resting on her folded arms on the desk in front of her.

"What do you think they're doing to him?"

She was referring to Ron, who had been removed from the room a few minutes previously to help with a 'demonstration'. Harry didn't have time to answer before the door opened again and two Ron Weasley's came striding in, both looking thoroughly disgruntled.

"Ooo," said Reggie, sitting up and looking interested. The rest of the room did the same.

"Can anyone tell me what this is?" asked the old wizard.

"Polyjuice potion," Harry whispered to Reggie, who put her hand up and gave the answer. Harry didn't know whether it was because she came from a different schooling system, or because she hadn't had to grow up dealing with the types of catastrophes the rest of the class had, but Reggie was somewhat lacking in basic defence knowledge. He tried to help her whenever he could.

"Exactly Miss Ryan. Well done. Now one of these gentlemen is the real Mr Weasley, whilst the other is a volunteer from another department, Mr Gamble. Now if you two would like to stand here and face the others – that's it just there – Now, does anyone want to hazard a guess as to which one is which? Now don't move you two. We don't want to give them too many clues."

The two Rons stood quite still, only moving their eyes as their gaze fell over each of the class, who were very reluctant to 'hazard a guess'. It was after all impossible to tell the difference between the two. The potion made the drinker an exact replica of the other and without any movements to help give away any hints, the exercise was futile. Harry suspected that this was maybe the point, that the old auror was trying to show them how difficult their job would be, until Mr Gamble made a fatal error that showed Harry exactly who the real Ron was.

He allowed himself a small smile before raising his hand.

"Yes Mr Potter?"

"Ron's on the right."

"Are you?" the old wizard asked the two Rons. They both nodded and the wizard's face fell. "Oh… well… that's never happened before… so… but we've never had Mr Potter before… did you know that or did you guess?"

"I knew," said Harry.

"Of course," said the wizard and he didn't press him any further. This was why Harry didn't like answering any questions. Their tutors seemed to think that he had some special powers that they knew nothing about and so treated him with a kind of reverence that made him uncomfortable. He had dissuaded from telling them otherwise by Ron, who had quite rightly pointed out that it sometimes came in useful, like allowing them to leave work for a few hours that morning.

"I think we'll leave that there then," the wizard dismissed them. He was still scratching his head when Harry and Ron left the room.

"How did you do that?" squealed Reggie, catching up to them. "That was amazing. Is it your special Boy Wonder tricks again?"

After their first meeting outside the offices on level one, Reggie had admitted to doing some research into Harry's past, so that she was more 'clued up' on the British culture. It was for this reason he had chosen him to be the one to help her with her 'pitiful' auror skills. Harry didn't mind, he was used to helping people with this sort of thing after all, and it was nice to have someone around who didn't know every intricate detail of his life, which was becoming increasing hard to find as the Prophet continued to hound him. Ron was less enthused by the arrangement.

"It's the Boy-Who-Lived, not Boy Wonder."

"Actually I prefer Harry."

"So how did you do it?" said Reggie.

"It wouldn't help you if I told you."

"It might. Pleeeease," she pleaded.

"He looked at my scar," said Harry finally. "Gamble looked at my scar. Ron would never do that."

"Well that doesn't help me at all," said Reggie. "What are you guys doing now?"

"Nothing," said Harry, as Ron shot him daggers with his eyes.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to go get something to eat?"

"No," said Ron firmly, as his stomach gave a loud grumble.

"Uh oh, busted," Reggie said, tickling his belly. "So what was it like having a double? Were you not all like 'Squee!'"

"Did you just say squee?"

"Squee!" said Reggie, tickling him again.

"Why don't you both come to mine for dinner?" said Harry quickly stepping in between them. "Kreacher makes a great Shepard's pie."

"Oh cool. Wait here and I'll just go get my stuff."

"I feel violated," said Ron as she left. "What are you doing inviting her to dinner? We see enough of her at work – rather you do."

"What's that meant to mean?"

"'Oh Harry! Can you help me with this?' 'Oh Harry! How do I make this work?' 'Oh Harry!' 'Oh Harry!'"

"She needs a bit of help, that's all. I don't mind."

Ron looked at him sternly, but said nothing as Reggie arrived back.

--

After Reggie had got over the excitement of 12 Grimmauld Place appearing from nowhere, and the fact that Harry had a house elf, he was able to bring her down into the kitchen, Ron following grumpily behind them.

"So where were you this morning?" she asked, throwing her bag on the table. "I had to go to that talk all by myself!"

"We had to go visit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," said Harry. "Should be opening next week."

"Really? Cool. Does that mean you'll be at work less?" asked Reggie, looking to Harry.

"No," said Ron shortly. "I work there, not Harry."

"Oh. So why did you have to go, Harry?"

"I have an invested interest," he said, putting the kettle on. "Tea?"

"Do you have coffee?"

"No sorry."

"S'ok. Where's your bathroom?"

"It's upstairs. Kreacher will show you."

Ron smirked as the old house elf led her out of the room.

"What?" said Harry, offering him a mug of tea.

"'Oh Harry. Will you show me to the bathroom Harry?'"

"What? You think I was rude sending her with Kreacher?"

"No I think you were just right. Don't want to be alone with a girl like that, or do you?"

"You sound like your mother," laughed Harry. "And I'm sure Reggie wasn't planning to accost me in the bathroom. I really think she just needed to use it."

Ron gave him a sceptical look.

"Funny you should mention my mother," he said. "She said Ginny stayed over here when we were away."

Harry nearly choked on his tea. Ron took advantage of his momentary silence.

"If you hurt my sister I will kill you. Then my brothers will also kill you."

"Nothing happened," Harry spluttered, his throat burning from his hastily gulped tea.

"You're lucky I believe you."

"We're just…" But he couldn't lie to Ron. There was no point. "I'm not going to hurt her ok?"

"Good. Because she's writing to you already."

Harry turned in his seat to see Pigwidgeon flying down the staircase looking windswept, but very pleased with himself.

--


End file.
